NOT APPOINTED?

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12543, 3 May 1935, Page 6

NOT APPOINTED?

SECOND MEDICAL OFFICE!?. AT COOK HOSPITAL.

MB. COLEMAN REPEATS STATEMENT.

The much-discussed question of the appointment of a- second medical officer at Cook Hospital was again, referred to last evening by Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P., in the course of his address at the City Hall in pursuance of his campaign for the Mayoralty and the Hospital Board. Mr. Coleman, in the course of his address, said he intended to say something in regard to the controversy concerning the second medical officer at Cook Hospital. Some time ago he proposed that a second medical officer be appointed. He did that because he felt the Board was travelling a dangerous road. The institution was understaffed in regard to doctors. They had one doctor, the medical superintendent, and two first-year doctors. These two latter were quite capable but lacked experience. That meant that all the work fell on Dr. Hall, and when the speaker found that 1200 operations were performed by Dr. Hall in one year, well, he must admit he did not know how Dr. Hall did the work. There were days and days when he put in the full 24 hours.

Continuing, Mr. Coleman said he then moved that a second medical officer be appointed. Only three applications cafne in. The board were rnoro fortunate in that respect that the Auckland Board, which had offered £6OO hut received no applications. r iho Cook Board, as he stated, received three applications, and that seemed to be where the trouble started, where there was a likelihood that someone would be appointed that certain interested people in Gisborne did not want appointed. .Mr. Coleman said he stood for the welfare of the patients above everything else. Human life and. limb were at; stake and the one appointed must have the highest qualifications. “Whether I please or whether I offend,” said Air. Coleman, “I am going bo vote for the doctor who has the highest qualifications and will give the best service to the institution. In his letter to the Press Dr. Collins made one mistake; the medical officer has not. yet been appointed. The new board will have that duty. I repeat that no medical officer has been appointed.