WAIHI HOSPITAL

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 87, 9 October 1935, Page 11

WAIHI HOSPITAL

LETTER FROM MINISTER

SOLUTION OF DIFFICULTIES

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WAIHL This Day, The relations between the Hospital Board and medical staff were referred to at the Waihi Hospital Board meeting last night when a letter bearing on the subject was received from the Minister of Health, Sir Alexander Young. The resignations of the medical staff were received as a result of the board's reinstatement of a nurse after she had been dismissed by the medical superintendent, and Sir Alexander Young saiJ that any self-respecting professional man would take umbrage in the circumstances that had been created by the board, and the superintendent's resignation was not surprising It was known that the Hospital Board could at any time refuse to give effect to any recommendation that the medical superintendent might make regarding dismissal. That being so, the medical superintendent was technically wrong. It seemed to him that an early solution of the present difficulties regaraing the staff could be reached if a reconciliation in viewpoints between the board and the medical officers could be effected. Were this to take place, he saw no reason why the medical officers who had resigned should not resume duty at the hospital. It was decided to send a reply written by a member purporting to be a full history of the trouble since its beginning. . Only one application was received for the position of medical superintendent, that of Dr. Archibald Jenkins. M.8., of Pukemiro, and his appointment was recommended to the Health Department. No applications for the position of house surgeon were received, and it was decided to appeal to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dunedin, to help the board in its efforts, also to readvertise for an officer. Expectations were that the hospital would soon have a full nursing staff, but the matron's position was still vacant. It was decided to recommend for the approval of the Department the temporary appointment of Mrs. Paddock, of Parnell, Auckland, as matron. Such of Itio cablo news on this page as Is so headed has appeared la "The Times" and li cabled to Australia and New Zealand by special permission. It should be understood that the opinion's are not those of "The Times' i unless expressly stated to to so.