KOREAN WAR BLOCKS HOSPITAL APPOINTMENT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23314, 25 July 1950, Page 4

KOREAN WAR BLOCKS HOSPITAL APPOINTMENT

The long arm of war’s consequences reached out and touched the Cook Hospital Board yesterday, obliging the board to defer completion of a plan to provide a specialist service in respect of ear,

nose and throat complaints. After months of consultations with neighbouring hospital boards and correspondence with the Department of Health, the Cook board had selected Dr. A. E. Khan, a Sydney consultant, as specialist in ear, nose and throat complaints to serve its own and contiguous districts. Dr. Khan presented excellent testimonials and a record of experience embracing wartime service with the R.A.A.F., and staff and consultant appointments at leading United Kingdom hospitals in his special field. Research Duties With R.A.A.F.

Among the appointments listed by Dr. Khan, and current at the time of his application, was a medical post with the R.A.A.F.

At yesterday’s meeting the board received advice from Dr. Khan that he would not be able to take up the Cook Hospital appointment owing to his having been mobilised with a research unit of the Royal Australian Air Force. The appointment of Dr. Khan had been approved by the Health Department with the status of senior specialist, with a salary scale commencing at £ISOO per annum. “I suppose that this means we must start all over again,” commented the chairman, Mr. J. B. Williams, when Dr. Khan’s letter outlining his position was received.

The medical superintendent, Dr. R. J. B. Hall, advised that the matter be held over, since it might still be possible to secure Dr. Khan. Mr. H. H. Barker also counselled delay, on the principal grounds that the board should not appoint a specialist until the hospital could provide the facilities necessary to- secure the best results from a specialist’s services. Build-up of Hospital Facilities

He pointed out that this addition to the hospital's services would place an additional strain upon the available beds in the Cook Hospital, and that it would be'embarrassing if a .specialist, appointed by the board, should arrive to find the hospital lacking in the facilities necessary for his work. Mr. Barker also pointed out that patients were coming to Gisborne from districts of non-contributory boards to secure the advantages of the Cook Hospital’s specialist orthopaedic service. He forecast the development of dissatisfaction among local people awaiting admission to the Cools; Hospital, when they found that people coming from other districts were admitted before them. The managing-secretary, Mr. C. A. Harries, pointed out -that the board could not refuse service to a patient, and that other hospitals received, patients .from this district. If Cook showed any reluctance to admit patients, on whom statutory authority conferred the privilege of choosing their hospitals, other boards might take action to the disadvantage of Gisborne patients seeking admission and treatment from their specialists. Admission Graded on Urgency Dr. Hall said that a few patients came from other districts and applied for admission at the Cook Hospital, but admission was graded mainly upon the urgency of the respective waiting cases. , The chairman commented that probably more Gisborne people sought treatment at outside hospitals than were admitted to the Cook Hospital from other districts. The board decided to inquire into the possibility of establishing periodical clinics for eye cases, pending the appointment of a permanent specialist.