“SUPPLY AND DEMAND”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21899, 18 December 1945, Page 5

“SUPPLY AND DEMAND”

NO ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON

SPECIALIST TREATMENT

“It is the same old question of supply and demand, and the board will have to wait until the position rights itself,” stated the medical superintendent, Dr. R. J. B. Hall, at yesterday’s meeting of the Cook Hospital Board when referring to the Wellington Hospital Board’s advice that it was unable to supply an orthopaedic surgeon to replace Dr. W. S. Robertson in the meantime owing to staff shortages. The letter pointed out that two surgeons had left the staff recently, but immediately it was possible the board would endeavour to assist its fellow board.

No further progress in the matter of an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist being available to visit or take Gisborne patients had been made, according to advice from .the DirectorGeneral of Health. Mrs. E. R. Scott asked whether cases from Gisborne were being admitted to the Napier Hospital and being treated by Dr. Scoular in good time now. She wanted to know if there were any delays as she knew of one person desirous of attention who had been waiting six months. Dr. Hall said that there was the minimum of delay for urgent cases and in most instances the patient was admitted to the Napier Hospital the same day. Not-so-urgent cases had to wait, and some were treated locally since the abandonment of the threemonthiy visits to Gisborne by Dr. Scoular.

Mr. H. H. Barker: Do towns such as Hamilton and New Plymouth have specialists there? Are we unique? Dr. Hall: Yes, in a way. This type of surgeon, he added, was appointed on a population basis, working on the principle of between 40,000 and 60,000 people for one eye, ear, nose and throat specialist. Asked if there was sufficient demand for such a surgeon in Gisborne, Dr. Hall said that it would be hardly justifiable for full-time employment, but as a part-time job the board had need of one. The fact that some people were a little diffident about accepting money for the trip to Napier, preferring to pay their own expenses instead, if the case was considered urgent enough for specialist treatment, was pointed out By Mrs. Scott. The board, it wag considered, was not in a position to take any further action in the matter.