Hospitals and Health

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 85, 26 March 1926, Page 5

Hospitals and Health

Dominion Conditions POINTS ON PROHIBITION AMERICAN MEDICAL AUTHORITY’S VIEWS. Dr. Malcolm T. MacEachern, assistant Director of the American College of Surgeons and Director of Hospital y Activities, who is making an investigation of the hospitals of New Zealand at the instigation of the British Medical Association, visited Napier yesterday and inspected the public hospital in the afternoon. In the course of an interview with a “Tribune” representative last evening. Dr. MacEachern gave expression to some highly interesting views. DOMINION’S LOW DEATH RATE. Questioned on what he regarded as the causes of New Zealand having tue lowest death rate in the world. Dr. MacEachern said “You must remember that the situation of your country, with its wonderful climate and beautiful scenery has a great deal to do with that. As I said to an old man at Parke Island Old People s home today, ‘You should never die here.’ to winch he replied. ‘No, not with that beautiful scenery.’ “I'he natural resources of vour country—your good milk, cream, butter and meat—arc also a big help. Then there is your small population, with its freedom from concentration and congestion, it is always much easier to administer the public health policy of a country which is sparsei} populated. PLUNKET SYSTEM PRAISED. “Also a very important factor is your great, Blanket system, the work of Dr. Iruby King, by which attention is given before tne child is born, at its birth and afterwards, right up to school age, when there are nurses ana dental clinics to continue the work until the child grows up. Then,, finally, there are the splen'ilidly trained doctors and nurses ana the well-equipped hospitals to play their part.” Asked if the Plunket system was in any degree peculiar to New Zealand, Dr. MacEachern said that other countries had various forms of child welfare work, but nowhere were these activities so perfectly co-ordinated as in this country. COMMUNITY HOSPITALS. Dr. MacEachern is a strong advocate for the adoption by New Zealand of the community hospital system. Under this system, while the principle of government by elective boards and the practice of having honorary medical staffs would remain unchanged, there would be radical changes in other directions. Private wards, with separate rooms for each patient, would be instituted for the use of those who could afford to pay for private treatment. These patients would also have the right to be attended by their own doctors if they so desired. For necessitous cases, where payment was not possible, there would, of course, be the public wards. There was a large section of the middle classes of the community, the members of which, while unable to pay the full fees for private treatment, could pay something and did not wish to go into the public wards. For these there would be graded semi-private wards, holding different numbers of beds .according to the grade, with fees in proportion. This system would place the wide facilities and elaborate equipment of the hospital at the disposal of all members of the community. “To take one important instance,” said Dr MacEachern “there are many women suffering from fallen wombs who do not receive treatment because they will not go into the public wards of the hospitals, and cannot afford to have private treatment. Under the community hospital system they would be treated and would then be in better health generally, and better able to attnd to their duties as housewives.” patients who w r ere members of friendly societies would stand under the community hospital, Dr MacEachern said that it would be entirely for the friendly societies themselves to decide into which grade of private or semi-private wards their members would go. ADMINISTRATION METHODS CRITICISED. Regarding the administration side of the hospitals, Dr MacEachern expressed himself as emphatically opposed to the existing practice in New Zealand of having one medical officer in charge of both the medical and administration branches. ‘lt is too much for one man,’ ho said. ‘ ‘ The administration should be under the charge of one man who may not be a doctor, but he must be capable. Hospital administration requires extensive knowledge and experience, and in America we consider it of such importance that it is regarded as necessary for a man to have five years' training before he takes charge of this branch of a hospital. The medical staff should be honorary with an insido staff of young doctors who have just obtained their degrees—internes, as they are called in America. THE NAPIER HOSPITAL. Dr. MacEachern was very favourably impressed with the Napier Hospital, and its auxilitary institutions, saying “I must congratulate Napier on the splendid situation of its hospital, commanding glorious - views—it has, really the best situation of any hospital 1 have scon in the world, and on its complete range of clinical equipment which is capable of meeting the needs of any disease. The arrangements for dealing with maternity cases at Napier are also excellent and the Old People's Heme at Parke Island is equally creditable. BASE AND SUSIDIARY HOSPITAL? ‘‘l have been advocating a reduction in the number of hospital districts throughout New Zealand, I consider that there are too many small districts, but I think that the position in regard to the Napier Hospital should remain unchanged as the hospital is well situated and completely equipped to serve as a base hospital for the district. There could bt subsidiary hospitals at other places, but the district should remain unchanged with its base hospital at Napier. “The only weakness which I can see in the Napier Hospital is that which I wish to see changed in the hospitals throughout New Zealand —that the medical and administration branches are both under the control of one man. SOME RESULTS OF PROHIBITION “It is impossible for us to ten bow the health of the American nation nas been affected by prohibition, ’ said Dr. MacEachern, in reply to a question, “but we have observed that the uu*U" her of casualties arising through drink has been enormously reduced. There has been a similar decrease in Canada, where Government control of liquor is in force. Another result has been that the people have more money to pav their hospital bills and the incomes of the hospitals from this source have substantially increasea, even in the public wards. The people are building better homes and buying more automobiles and getting more ot the luxuries of life generally. OTHER HEALTH ASPECTS. “It is not true.” said the doctor, in (Continued on foot next column.)

reply to further questions, “that there has been big increase in insanity ana blindness through drinking woodalcohol. I. with mv staff, have to investigate 2.400 hospitals and wo always inquire into the causes of the various cases and I can state that cases of blindness through the drinking of wood-aleohol are verv rare.. “A great deal is said about the bootleggers operating widely and extensively hut this is greatly It is only in parts. The enforcement officers are being very hard on the bootleggers and the Federal squad in its raids catches even the man with the hip flask. “The dope traffic folows the Chinaman—and the Chinaman does not drink. So far as I have been able to observe the dope fiends are always able to get liquor so inability to do so cannot be given as a reason for their taking to drugs.” Dr. MacEachern was graciously appreciative of the treatment he has received from the press, saying that the newspapers had all been wonderfully helpful to him in their articles and editorials.