“A REVELATION!”

Evening Star, Issue 22689, 1 July 1937, Page 10

“A REVELATION!”

CHAIRMAN ON HOSPITAL INQUIRY “ SOMETHING FUNDAMENTALLY WIGHT’ _ j .' • . [Per Ukited-Paxes-Associatiov.] ' WELLINGTON, July 1* “ I must say this inquiry haa been a revelation to me, and, speaking as a layman, there Js something fundamentally wrong somewhere,” said'Mr Mosley, S;M., chairman of the Royal Commission which has been investigating -tha affairs of the Napier Public Hospital, when the inquiry concluded in Wellington to-day. . The < he -said, - had much better material- - than •he - anticipated would be available on which .ta found its report to. the - Governor-General. / The only witness to-day, was DrR- A* Shore, director of the hospitals division of the Health Department; ;He produced plains of the hospital before tho earthquake of 1931, and >'pointed out that after the visitatioii the only parts left were the twostoriea in'the.jmdJlo and one ward. Plans were prepared fqr rebuilding, and things were going, ahead when the question of <estaf>Ushing thb. base hospital at Hasting* altered the whole outlook. There was publio demand for single-story wards, which: caused some delay in 'Completing, tho reconstructioM‘>'prbl^amliibi l; It was decided to provide . 50 general bed* at Hastings, plus 14 maternity bed*. The question .of - isolation-: accommodation arose, and it was decided to erect .a. two-story ward on the site of the bid Rob John Ward, which made the". arrangements more compact; and efficient for ■ administration. : The Health Department approved bf these arrangements, although it was' concerned regarding provision for; future develop- - ment. In face of unanimous publio opinion, however, it was -hardly within tha power! of the department to refuse; The department’s policy was'calwaya to visualise op any hospital site provision for doubling the existing accommodation. .■■■; ■ ' r ■ Sir G. Elliot : There were very efficient isolation . wards distant from tho main buildings, as at Wellington. Dr Shore said modern practice wae not to depend on distance for isolation* but to rely on ward technique. In the, proposed ward no: patient would be in contact with another, bat weald be separated by. glass . screens,. [ Mr Foden said the inquiry at Napjer, perhaps, had not done, justice to wo department in ita efforts to safeguard the health of nurses. _ - t Dr Shore said the - question of the . nurses’ . health had engaged the . attention of the department for •ome year* past, -owing to the increased incidence of T-B. amongst nurses. He gave details ,of circulars sent out by the department regarding tho prevention pc this and other diseases, and tqeir early detection .and treatment, also .recommendation* to beards on the «übj«gt.. In reply to Mr Mosley, Dr Shore said the department had had complamta during the past few months that the number of applicationsfor training was decreasing. The worst pen od for T B in a female was. generally between 20 and 30, and in the case of nursea between 19 and 20. .. . Dr Shore said girls were taken a* young as 19 years for training. Sir G. Elliot asked if witness though* a girl was as resistant infection at 19 as if she ■ were a few years 0l Dr Shore said the incidence appeared to be greater. ‘ ' Sir G. Elliot asked if, without a. large inspectorial staff, the department could make- a thorough inspection of hospitals from year to year, jr Witness replied in the; negative Mr Mosley asked if. witness did no* think it might be advisable to tighten up control of public hospitals, in soin* way or other. . ; _ •Dr Shore: - I was going to ask tig Director-General to answer that. . ■ Concluding the inquiry, Mr, Mosley said he did not" know enough abort* the matters before the inquiry to ba able to put his finger on the trouble, but personally he would like to see tha position altered if within the bound* of practical politics. ■ , “ We have the hardest task beforg us,” he added.