MENTAL HOSPITALS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 10095, 7 September 1925, Page 3

MENTAL HOSPITALS

NEED FOR HALF-WAY HOUSES. MR lysxar ox committals. “LOOSE, flippant WAY.’ 1 CS3KIX UHX Oi ITIO'JJS) » VVELLLNGTOX, Sept. <3. When the Minister of Health ashecl leave to-dav to present the report on Mental Hospitals, Mr J. Savage (Auckland West) said the tune had come when there should be a thorough overhaul of the present system. He advocated the appointment of another Royal Commission to enquire into matters and conditions at present existing. He did not think everything was as it should be. There was room for improvement in the'handling of the patients. He strong.lv advocated the establishment of a halt-way house between the hospital and: the mental institution. It was the duty of the country to provide facilities not merely for keeping these people apart from the rest of society, but for their proper treatment. There were, a thousand and one reasons why these people should not he admitted to a public hospital, and an equal number of reasons why thdy should not be | admitted to an ordinary mental institution. , * , Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) advocated the appointment ol committees with power to go into eases m mental hospitals and make recommendations for their discharge. Patients should bo freed in that way, ami there should be better provision when people were committed. He did not like this loose, flippant way of two doctors bundling a man into an asylum.; He had known the case of a man being arrested and put into a cab by a who just looked at inn. and passed him on to an asyium. Tliero should be some provision for checking these doctors’ certificates, and counsel should be engaged to see if the position was. as stated. I™*° should be more, room m the institutions, so that patients who were .uncontrollable. should he separated Horn those who were recovering or had a chance of recovery. . Sir Maui Roma re. the Minister in Gliaree of Mental Hospita.s, was le,t but six minutes before the. duine; ad journment in which to leply. • . .-aid straight out that lie was not m favor of a Royal Commission. '' ny he asked, was it necessary. Mr Sullivan: Because of rumors and statements. ' Sir Maui: Rumors and statements and mis-statemer.ts. I robably JOJ will be wanting a commission soon to see how members do their own job. You will be asking for commissions on everything! Sufficient has not been advanced to warrant the appointment of a Commission. Evidently the critics among the merobeis did not read the newspapers, because if tlicv did, they would have seen , what the Department proposed to do. A ,<rood deal of what was proposed had already been disclosed. He, proceeded to quote from the report what the Department proposed . and. lm added that Major-General MeGavin and Di Valintine had been, asked to inquire into matters in regard to mental hospitals at Home, a.nd if there was anyuseful or important that the\ could recominot)d, then the law-oould be augend eel ncxi se^ion.