HOSPITAL REFORM.

Evening Star, Issue 7875, 6 April 1889, Page 3

HOSPITAL REFORM.

TO THE KDITOK. Sir, At the last meeting of the Hospital Trustees, one of tho members of tho Trust made the following remarks:-"I hold in my hand the record of Dr Maunsell's twelve months' work as a Trusteo, and I find he only took part in two resolutions. One was that the

lying-in ward should be abolished, and the other was that money should bo obtained from the Hospital Board to complete the operating theatre." This is perfectly true. Who can deny that these were the greatest improvements that were made in the hospital during the last ten years ? If the Trustees do as much to improve the hospital this year as they did last, then I say they v/ill have every reason to be proud of their work. It may be asked why I did not take steps to improve the system of nursing. In answer to this I quote my own wordsfromthe printed reports of the meeting of the medical staff held to consider Dr Batchelor's letter on hospital reform. "Dr Maunsell thought the most important matter that had been touched on by Dr Batohclor was the subject of nursing, or the absence of any such system, in the Dunedin Hospital up to the present time. The staff had brought it before the Trustees almost yearly for a long time back, and certainly last year, when lie was one of the Trustees of the institution, he had intended to bring the matter up before the rest of the Trustees, with a view to try and induce them to institute a proper method of nursing ; but was assured that Mr Houghton, tho chairman, had already taken the matter in hand, and that as soon as the operating theatre was finished he would work continuously till he had effected that object. Mr Houghton told him that he had already collected L4OO or LSOO from his charitable friends in order that they might erect a proper home for the nurses where they would be trained, and obtain a matron from the Home Country, so that there would be a real system of nursing throughout the hospital. There was no use in attempting any revolution in the matter of nursing till a proper home was established, and this would entail an expenditure of from L 1,500 to L.2,000. That was the reason which had prevented him from moving in the matter last year when he was a Trustee."—l am, etc, H. Wide.niiamMadn.sell. Dunedin, April G.