MENTAL DEFECTIVES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10711, 8 October 1928, Page 3

MENTAL DEFECTIVES

POSITION WHERE FRIENDS WILL TAKE CARE OF PATIENT

A CURIOUS ANOMALY

(Special To The Times). WELLINGTON, Oct. 2. Whilst the Mental Defectives Bill was before the House Mr. Lysnar moved to amend the original ■ Act, which gives power to the Minister to discharge a patient who has friends and who are going to take him out of the Dominion. The object of the amendment, widen was not accepted, was to give the Minister power to deal with cases where friends offered to look after a pat-r ient who would be kept in this country. “If it is right for the Minister to have the power to deal with people who are going out of the Dominion, said Mr. Lysnar, “it is equally right for him to have the power to deal with people remaining here. I cannot see that there is any legitimate ground for his action ;n rejecting the amendment. The Minister cud say, however, that he considered it was necessary to have some independent Board to .handle matters relating to the discharge of patients, that he had the, -matter under serious consideration, and would see what could be done in the future, ft was satisfactory to get that as-, srrance from him; but I may say that his two predecessors as Minister of Health had given distinct pledges to the House at different times that they would bring in legislation going in that direction. J regret exceedingly that the Minister in charge of this Bill, while admitting that he would give grave eons’deration to the matter of patients’ discharges, and while agree ing that something -should be done, allowed this Bill to come before the House without making any such provisions at all. “I feel rightly or wrongly, ac ded Mr. Lysnar, “that this Bill uan aid to the officials of these institutions referred to. The Bill as it stands does not, in my opinion, contain the had elements which i originally contained, klut it appears to “me to he a measure to improve the -status of the Administration officers and not the patients/ or th* friends of the patients."