MODERN HOSPITAL

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1926, Page 8

MODERN HOSPITAL

AN EXPERT'S VIEWS

EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY.

Last evening at the Wellington Hospital a unique meeting was held a meeting attended by the Minister of Health (the Hon. J. A. Young), the Di-rector-General of Health (Dr. T. H. A. Valintine), the chairman (Mr. C. M. Luke), and members of the Hospital Board, the honorary medical staff, mem-' bers of the British Medical Association of the city and suburban districts, and the sisters and other members of the hospital organisation. The meeting was addressed by Dr. M. T. MaeEachern, M.D., D.Sc, Associate Director of the American College of Surgeons, the subject of his address being, "Hospital Administration and the Modern Hospital." He illustrated his remarks by showing on the screen an extensive series of lantern slides, covering: (1) The fundamental principles underlying efficient hospital administration; (2) hospital policy; (3) hospital standardisation. Every detail was illustrated by attractive and coihpre • hensive slides. ' In the first portion of his address, in demonstrating the principles which should underlie efficient hospital organisation, he showed (a) organisation; every hospital must be thoroughly organised; (b) co-ordinatiou; all the departments must work together, without duplication or omission; (c) co-op-eration; all units in the organisation must work together for the good of the' patient; (d) efficiency; every department of the hospital should be up to the last degree in equipment, personnel, and procedure, so as to give the patient every advantage;' (c) economy. The speaker referred to the danger of hospitals being wasteful, and he indicated ways and means to have economy with efficiency, (f) Lastly service. Dr. MacEeachern dealt at length with this vital factor, stating that all effort without .making the patient the first consideration would go for nought. Bricks, mortar, and equipment, he said, do not make a hospital a good institution. There must be an efficient staff, imbued with the determination to give good service. This subject was more fully demonstrated in a series of slides showing what happens to the patient, when passing through the hospital, in tho way of treatment and care. A SISTEE STATE. The second series of slides illustrated in an attractive and comprehensive manner the Victorian hospital system, showing the centralisation of hospital policy and development in a central board, representing tho various hospital boards in the State, and also the medical profession. The hospitals are graded metropolitan, base, district, cottage, isolation, bush nursing centres, etc. —all according to a definite standard, connected up with >an ambulance system. The entire policy, he said, is well co-ordinated, and efficient in every respect. Each hospital must have an honorary staff. The public wards are for the necessitous cases. Intermediate and pay wards will be added immediately. ADVANCE IN AMERICA. In the latter connection Dr. MacEachern referred at length to the community hospital system, and mentioned that a complete detail of the system would be seen in the "Evening Post" of last evening. By request, tho visitor concluded his scries of lantern slides, by illustrating and explaining the hospital standardisation movement of America, which to-day affects some 2400 institutions through an annual survey, by competent field officers, to determine if each hospital is up to the required standard, and all of those that are listed publicly and certified to by his organisation, the American College of Surgeons—an institution of 8000 members, embracing North and South America, with membership in a large number of countries throughout the worldj and standing for the betterment of medicine, hospital practice, and the promotion of health. At the conclusion of the lecture, opportunity was given for questions and answers, the speaker urging that questions be asked and discussion follow. A short discussion was opened on tho community hospital, the speaker answering the questions asked apparently to the satisfaction of the inquirers. APPRECIATION. A very hearty vote of thanks was moved by Mr. C. M. Luke (chairman of the Hospital Board), who expressed his appreciation of the information which had been given during the lee ture; also his delight at such a unique meeting, in which all parties interest?'! in the hospital field, were gathered together. He outlined briefly the development of the Wellington Hospital, and assured the audience that the hospital stood, first, for the best service that" could be given for the patients ana the community. Dr. MaeEachern, in'his reply, referred enthusiastically to Mr. Luke's great service of 42 • years on the Hospital Board. No finer service, he said, could be given by any person. . Dr. MaeEachern leaves to-morrow on his tour of inspection of the hospitals in the North Island, visiting Na-ner, Rotorua, Hamilton, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Wanganui, and intermediate centres so far as time permits, and returning to Wellington to complete his report before he sails frnin Auckland for America on 13th April.