A MODERN HOSPITAL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 150, 29 June 1925, Page 9

A MODERN HOSPITAL

THE SYSTEM IN WELLINGTON

A LECTURE BY DR. D. M. WILSON.

A most_ illuminating address was. delivered on Saturday night in the Red Cross Rooms; Dixon street, by Dr. D. Macdonald.Wilson, Medical Superintendent of the Wellington Public Hospital, in ■ connection with .'the .fortnightly lectures of the Workers' Educational Association. . Mr. B. Yeates occupied the chair. Dr. Wilson chose.as his subject."Modern .Hospital Management," and was able to impart; to !his ..audience;, much valuable information which he acquired during his recent trip to .America, to '■ study the most up-to-date hospitals ml that progressive country. '■■.'.■'-., '.. ■.-...: '■■* ■ . 'WELLINGTON INSTITUTION 1: .'.- : -DESCRIBED. : i ,; '■'■" -.. : /:

The lecturer traced the growth of the Wellington' Public Hospital.from its small beginning in Pipitea street;' "-.Tliorndon, to the large institution of the present day, which he described as a little colony in .itself, 1 accommodating as it does 475 ; .in-patients-and 700 ".out-patients daily: The ; total number /of in-patients admitted, during ■ the year amounts to over 6000; with a staff -'6! 400 in addition, it-"will be readily understood what an enormous food and coal bill is required.during the year for such a large family. "Dr. Wilson proceeded to quote the necessary .figures,: and dealt most comprehensively, .with; the :■ great question of organisation and control. It is the aim of the staff to give the best possible service to ■ patients with; due regard to economy, and in. this connection the'powerhouse is a very .important factor,; for on it .depends , the i hot-water^ supply, for wards, laundry, and kitchen work, sterilisation for the operating theatre, heating, . and incinerators,' and it: :.is very necessary, for the .boiler-house to be centrally situat-ed ;to conserve .time,: -labour, and expense. . A great feature of modern hospitals .'is "to avoid shaving ;tlie ings scattered, so that the service: may be prompt and efficient, and In this way much economy is effected. Quite a large staff *of -engineers, painters, plumbers, arid blacksmiths .is constantly engaged in "repair 'work to;keep the institution in thorough working order, i The ~ laundry is'; a most; important department, where spine 20,000 - articles are'put ' through every week, and there are also sewing and stock rooms -".adjoining;, where the linen is.mended-and housed. Nowadays, labour-saving and safety, devices, are :a'l; ways,! being introduced \to keep institutions of this nature up to date, arid £30,----000 is ■',;. spent annual!^ \ . for purchasing goods,'so it as \ very necessary ■ that the house steward, should be a man of/good business -- acumen ;.V '. and . thoroughly, -' acquainted with the wholesale: markets and current.prices. ; v, ... „ .:;.'.'

CARE WITH FOOD,

Tile kitchen must be near the boiler house for the--freezing chambers::and;the serving of food -is - a very big problem, which requires-a trained staff. In England and America, the kitchens are works of art.with.; tiled-brick walls,; which can be .hosed down, and .they, have subsidiary kitchens for ; 'the •dieticians with small stores round about, where' food values are. studied, and .a special • diet prepared for diabetesleases. It 1 is" the duty of: the dietician to/.go round::.the';various wards and instruct, the nurses in the service of food to patients. ' ■ The Wellington Hospital is aiming at this. '■■The delivery of food is a very big question to which a great deal of thought and attention is,given, as it' must bo cooked/ economically, conveyed to*:the wards; oh. insulated wagons, and served hot and daintily' tb- the 'patients..':- In America the hospitals .are very high buildings on a small area, with several basements below the ground level, where the kitchens fare situated/ and , the. food is sent up many stories in.lifts,'while the dishes are washed, by, special machinery. Even .this' arrangement has not v given perfect satisfaction, and it is not desirable to have the staff living,in basements with artificial light, and a total absence of fresh air.; Dr. Wilson would not like to see that system introduced here—we must rather aim at a happy medium—r but it is desirable that the noise of dishwashing should be as" far removed from the patients as possible.; ,:. ' : . , ' b TEEATMENT; OF PATIENTS. .■;; „ The improved' diagnosis of patients is coming to the fore by leaps and bounds, and treatment.is advancing rapidly also,: but Nature is-the greatest healer, and Dr. Wilson considers. that the wise medical man knows what to leave to. Nature, and when to interfere.- 'He stressed the need for casualty .wards, to which emergency cases may be taken at once, and, so prevent over-crowding and:,the dis-!. turbance of other patients, which must be the case at present. * With regard to thor'wards ■themselves, they take their form from the old churches, as the nuns were the first to introduce hospitals'into England, and the' wards .were built in. the chapel shape, which form holds good, to-day. Tho tendency in America rioxvy. however, is to get away from the huge" ward system and put up many .single^ ones, which it is hoped-will, provide ..V better service for. everyone. We need to keep our minds open for improvements, and in England and America social service departments have been instituted which follow up discharged cases among the poorer classes, visit the homes, and endeavour to provide work for the wage-earner. Dr. Wilson referred in detail to the out-patients' departments, of which we have many, including a splint-making department with special machinery, one for the treatment of infantile paralysis, and a new one now starting for mental cases, under tho advice of Sir Truby King. All these special branches: are doing very important work that is rapidly incron.xing, and the next problem is accommodation. Fifteen different out-patients' rooms ore now being erected in a now building, which will enable those coming for treatment to see different-spec-ialists in one- day. jUost diseases call for specialists, and that is the feature oE the great Mayo Clinic—the team work that enables one doctor to send the various patients off to other medical ■men for immediate treatment. People wishing to be examined to-day, for possible ailments may, clo so s but the lecturer regretted that tho. pul-lie are not yet educated up'to the need for early treatment which would enable them to avoid serious illness. In conclusion, Dr. Wilson expressed the'hope that-.the citizens of Wellington would take more interest in the public hospital as their own institution, and co-operate with, the staff .in their united efforts to serve the community in the highest "possible way. A very hearty vote of' thanks was nccorded to the lecturer' for his most informative address. : ■■-■