“VERY FAIR GO!”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21697, 26 April 1945, Page 6

“VERY FAIR GO!”

HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS PRIVATE MEDICAL MEN POSITION IN GISBORNE “I think the doctors in Gisborne are giving us a very lair go!" stated the medical superintendent of the Cook Hospital, Dr. R. J. B. Hall, at a special meeting of the Cook Hospital Board on Monday, when asked by Mr. H. H. Barker whether people were being sent to hospital unnecessarily by private medical practitioners. "The position here is different from that in a certain city where, I believe, some doctors are on a sort of hospital black-list, and others are rationed as to the number of X-ray plates they are allowed,” added Dr. Hall. “We are a long way from that position in Gisborne.” The comment occurred in the course of a short discussion on bed occupancy in the Cook Hospital. - The managing-secretary, Mr. C. A. Harries, had informed the board that estimates of receiDts from fees might be affected by an increase in the average of occupied beds. He expressed the view that it would lie very difficult to keep any bed empty in tlie hospital. Dr. flail said that there was a waiting.list of patients. Mrs. E. R. Scott: People are waiting for hospital treatment for whom no beds are available. Mrs. Ada E. Beer considered that the board should not place on the medical superintendent alone the invidious position of having to refuse admittance to some, and to speed the departure of others. It was a matter in which private medical men should assist the board as far as possible. In his comment on Mrs. Beer's remarks, Dr. Hall said that almost every case which came in was investigated before being put to bed. There were certain cases in which discretion had to be exercised, but people were not admitted without good cause.