CONSUMPTION TREATMENT

Evening Star, Issue 18021, 15 July 1922, Page 13

CONSUMPTION TREATMENT

OTAGO’S AMALGAMATION PROPOSAL. DR VALINTINE APPROVES POOLING SCHEME. ® At the conference of hospital board delegates at Wellington *a remit was considered from Otago on the; subject of tho amalgamation of hospital boards generally throughout New Zealand for the treatment ol consumptives, with a view to pooling the'capital cost and maintenance in proportion to rateable capital value of tho districts, Tho matter was introduced by Mr A. F. Quelch, who, in support of the scheme, said that, while some districts _ were making provision, others wore making little or none, with the result that, .while a number of cases were arrested, every year a number of fresh cases were coming on. (Something must bo done by which they could bring them all in from every district so that they could receive treatment. It was the duty of hospital boards _ to amalgamate for the purpose of arresting and preventing the disease. Mr W. E. S. Knight (Otago) said that the department had stated that it was impossible, in view of the present financial condition of the country, to nationalise the work, but the scheme suggested Would be a fairly equitable scheme lor ratepayers and local bodies. The Government would provide its quota through hospital boards,so that it was the nearest possible thing to nationalising the system of dealing with consumption. Dr Valintine (Director-General of Health) said the scheme appealed very much to the department only means of having a satisfactory national campaign against consumption. The North Canterbury Board had a most excellent sanatorium for the treatment of the disease. Otago had also established a most excellent scheme, but in thi North Island there were no hospital boards which had undertaken responsibility. Ho did not blame them, because Wellington Hospital Board some years ago established a sanatorium at Otaki which did great good, but during the war it was deemed expedient that tho department should take over, and it was under tho control of the I department to this day. A sanatorium I had also been established at Pukeora on i modern lines, at which soldier cases were treated, but the sanatoria of the North Island were not under tho control of the

hospital boards. The department had tyro j institutions in tho North Island, and, with the idea of giving effect to this scherrte,_it was prepared to hand over these two institutions to hospital boards of the North Island straight away. It was only by such a scheme as this that they could deal effectively with consumptives. They must have institutions available for every consumptive patient in th© two islands, and by the pooling scheme they could send a patient who was not doing too well m one place to one of tho others. The scheme would give them two institutions in each island, and these would be sufficient for tho needs of the dominion for many years to come. It might involve the scrapping of tho institution at Palmerston, but the wonderful reputation of the climate of Otago would appeal to the South Is.and so much that it would in any case lead to the closing of the Palmerston Sanatorium. He was sure that Otago would join in the larger scheme. In justice to Auckland (as Auckland had no sanatorium), ho must say that some years ago the department obtained a country house at Cambridge, which had served for over twenty years. It was closed only the other day, lukoora enabling them to do so. It was not the fault of tho Auckland Board. He h<id never had tho courage to recommend the Auckland Board to establish a sanatorium in Auckland, for ho wgs not cimposed to regard the climate of Auckland as suitable for such a purpose. Ho hoped tho boards would take up th© scheme and lot tho department see a system for the treatment and control of tuberculosis that would be second to none in any country. Sr* P. Castle (chairman) said that if boards could run general hospitals they were equally capable of running sanatoria Replying to questions. Dr Valmtmo said the department would hand oyer the two North Island hospitals to tho North Island boards, but would rather .pool them in _ r, national pool. It would require no legislation, for the Act enabled hospital boards to combine for the purpose o: maintaining institutions. There would be no <umcuity about this owing to the excellent understanding 'between the boards and the department. After further discussion, it was resolved that the Department of Health bo asked to confer with the movers of the remit to formulate the scheme with details, the same to bo circulated to all hospital boards asking them to give duo consideration to it. ~ Mr Wallace said that, while ho could not pledge Auckland to the scheme for the two islands, he believed they would support a scheme for each island on tho lines suggested. ,