MATERNITY NURSING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 July 1924, Page 9

MATERNITY NURSING.

PRESENT POSITION DISCUSSED. DEPARTMENT’S ATTITUDE. The present unsatisfactory position with regard. to the care of maternity cases was discussed by the Hawera Hospital Board yesterday, when Dr. Boyd laid before the hoard certain facts concerning the running of his hospital at Kaponga. At the outset the doctor said he wished to make the board cognisant with the position between himself and the Health Department. He said, he had not been running his hospital long before he discovered that five patients (the number allowed hv the department) were not sufficient to make -the establishment pay ordinary working expenses and were not sufficient to meet the requirements of the district owing to the fact that some months there were more than the required number ofteiing, but other months there were less. The Health Department then gave him permission to put an extra bed into each of two rooms, and turn a dining room into a bedroom to take three more beds. He found that it took an average of 4.5 patients a week o-o. UU* ordinary working expenses Ihen came the talk of maternal mortality and septicaemia, and the departiae"t tol d him that he must put on a staff bathroom and sink room and other additions costing several hundreds of pounds. During the years 1919-90-91 the hospital had just paid bare working expenses, without allowing any interest on the capital nut into the establishment. During 1 the following years and this year the hospital had not'paid ordinary working expenses, and had been run at a considerable loss. The Health Department had insisted that he should make the additions, but when he replied that he could not see his way clear to do so the department iiad stated that he must put on a sink loom and take in un to five maternitv but no surgical patients. The hospital +u U i n °i •^ a on sue h a footing, and the board would see the position when he told them that this coming month there were a dozen maternity cases to be provided for. The position was that the department demanded that he must either make the additions which would allow his hospital to maintain seven beds and still take in a surgical case or he must carry on,with the limit of' , , ve . ™/t«rmty cases. It was evident that it the department maintained this attitude ne must close down. His hospital had been well conducted, and he had not had a single case of septicaemia.

Dr. Thomson said that the department now stated that for more than tour patients there must be another trained midwife. The attitude taken up by the department was far reaching There were three registered nursing homes in Hawera, and one of them, which was run by a splendid midwife' "f ls simply forced to close down. One of the other two was licensed to take m seven patients, hut under the department’s new rulinsr was now o-oino-to take m four, and the other was thinking of throwing in her license. It would probably mean that instead of women going into these homes they would go elsewhere, where the conditions would not be as good. If Dr. Boyd were to close down the two women m ins district would not be able to cope with the position. Supposing the board did establish a maternity hospital, it would he very unfair and unjust to men m outside districts for their patmnts to have to come into Hawera. Dr. Thomson also that the Minister had stated that it was the intention of the department to «radualU extinguish private maternity hospitals and Dr. Boyd said that if such were the policy of the department he would want some assurance that if he went in tor the extra expenditure his hospital would not be closed down hv the department in a short while.

The chairman (Mr F. Gillanders) thought that the hoard should take up the matter with the department, and point out that the maternity eases could not he provided for, blit under the present conditions, and until the Hospital. Board or the department were pi opal ed to make the necessary provision it was unfair to press those who were at present coping with the situatl i on ‘ I ,? e thm 'Z ht that the matter should he taken un strongly with the department. The ‘Hospital Board intended to make use of the oresent hospital as a maternity hospital when they had built the new hospital, so that it was evident that the hoard could not move in the matter for another three years. Dr. Thomson said that the present attitude of the department was destructive without being constructive. The chairman remarked that it seemed most unfair that there should he this quibbling with the women who were doing such good work and had handled thousands of cases without one complaint. Mr Tnyler thought that a maternity hospital for the whole o.f the district would require about. 200 beds, but others present thought that about 50 beds would suffice. In reply to Mr Meldon, Dr. Boyd said he wanted a definite assurance from the department in the direction indicated, and if they were not prepared to grant what he asked .for he would have to close his hospital down. Mr Tnyler suggested that the board should also enlist the heln of members of Parliament. Jt was decided to take the matter up with the department in the direction indicated by Dr. Bovd.