HOSPITAL DOCTORS.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 119, 30 May 1901, Page 3

HOSPITAL DOCTORS.

COUNCILLOR LYSNAR’S MOTION. At the Borough Council meeting on Tuesday night, Cr Lysnar, in accordance with notice, moved, “ That this Council takes into consideration the prudence of making recommendations to its nominees on the Hospital Committee with a view of securing the services and assistance of all the medical practitioners of this town for the benefit of the Hospital.” He said there were two matters, he would like to clear up before he went into the merits of the resolution. First, as to the right of the Council to consider the matter and give directions to its nominees. It seemed to him that the Council appointing nominees to the Hospital Board had a clear right to consider the matter and express their wishes to them, but in order that there might be no misapprehension, he had taken the trouble to call on the two nominees of the Council, Mr Joyce and Mr Johnston, and asked them if they thought it would be discourteous on the | part of the Council to give them any direction upon this matter. Both of them said that they would not —that they would give any sueh recommendation full consideration and weight. As to the merits of the motion and the recommendations, they properly reserved to themselves the right to consider them. So that the Council need not feel that they ! would be trenching on the privileges of their representatives. The other question was as to the staff and doctor of the Hospital. He did not wish it to be thought-that by this motion he in any way questioned their ability or their work at the Hospital; he did not. The Hospital was conducted well—in a way that members could not wish to be bettered. He had an opportunity of going through the Hospital when Dr Valentine was here, and certainly everything seemed as right and proper as it could be—that was, as far as a layman could see. Those two questions being disposed of, it brought the Council down to the question of the prudence of acting in this matter. The ground upon which he | would ask the Council to vote was that of public expediency to enable both the patients and their friends to feel at ease that at all times the best local skill of all the doctors was available. Further the change would in no way add to the expense of the institution. This district was a growing one, and they should see that the Hospital was conducted on linos in keeping practically with all the hospitals throughout the colony in any town which had a population such as we had. He had made careful enquiries as to the practice of other | hospitals, and found that in Wellington the practice was that there were four doctors elected every year, all honorary, but with a resident surgeon. Until quite recently, he received £3OO a year, but his salary had been raised to £7OO a year. In Wanganui, they had an honorary staff, and a resident surgeon at £250 a year. At Napier, they had an honorary staff of four. Where there were more than four doctors in a town, it was the practice to appoint four for twelve months, and next year appoint those who had been left out. Every doctor was thus given an opportunity of serving in the hospital. At Auckland, they had a resident surgeon and staff. - At New Plymouth, they had no resident surgeon. They ap-

pointed two medical men upon a salary. The conditions upon which honorary staffs were appointed were : Each medical man took his week, and he retained charge of all patients going in during that week until recovery. There were thus always four doctors attending the hospital, and the work equally apportioned. Each medical man was supposed to consult with the other doctors before any major operation was performed and get their assistance, so far as was necessary. If a doctor sent in a patient of his own to the hospital during the week of another doctor, the doctor who sent it in would retain charge of that patient as a matter of courtesy between the*'doctors themselves. He understood there were thirty bods in the local hospital, and for a few days this season every bed was occupied.

But the normal condition that obtained at the worst time in the year was about 26 patients. There had been at one time 10 fever patients in the hospital. He had, put the question to outside doctors, and asked them what would be a reason-

able time for a medical man to give to a fever patient during tho day, and the reply he got was ten minutes at the least, and it ought to bo about 15 min-

utes, unless the case was one that was serious, and then a considerable -time should be given to it —as much as an hour. If 15 minutes were given to each patient, and there were 10 patients, that would he 21- hours. That meant, if there were 30 patients, 10 requiring 15 min-

utes, and 20 requiring, say, 10 minutes, attention oach, the doctor would have to devote 5$ hours a day to them, and the doctor had a private practice to attend to besides.. Ho had made no allowance in his calculation for extreme cases, or where the doctor had to go back two or three times. It seemed to be unfair to the doctor and to the patients and their friends to have all that cast upon one man. The work should be apportioned out. The principle had been accepted right throughout tho colony, and if it had worked well in other places it should work well here. This question had not occurred to him recently. His mind had long been unsettled with respect to it, and ho knew that the minds of a great number of the public were also unsettled Continued on fourth page.