HOSPITAL REFORM

Horowhenua Chronicle, 10 June 1932, Page 2

HOSPITAL REFORM

Decentralisation and Reduction I.' 1 A R ]l 10ACHING PROPOSALS I’> 10 FORE ASSOCIATION WMLLIXGTON, Last Night. Dr. Campbell Degg, at a meeting of tin; Hospital .Boiirds’ Association, moved tin; series of resolutions for hospital reform recently adopted by the Wellington Hospital ’Board. After discussion a cmnmittee was appointed to go into the proposals and report bach t .o-mo rrow. Those proposals are far-reaching, involving a reduction of hospital districts from 4o to IS, each district to contain within its bounds an adequate base hospital; that there should be within the Health Department a board of hospitals with wide powers; ami in addition to this subdivision that there be four metropolitan hospital districts with hospitals in the cities of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The purpose of the metropolitan hospitals is to provide a service which is not available at the base hospitals in connection with the special investigation of treatment such as treatment by radium.

The conference, said Dr. Begg, ottered a golden opportunity for further service by hospital members in the great work they had taken up. The object of all should be to put the hospital system on such a basis that by a natural process of development it would adequately meet the needs and be within the compass of the pockets of the people of the country for all time. The ultimate goal must bo decentralisation of administration, decentralisation of control and decentralisation of finance.

Seconding the proposals, Mr. F. Castle, chairman of the Wellington Board, said he hoped the conference would agree to a reduction in the number of hospital districts if only on the ground of economy. The committee would have to study the details, . ?:

Mr, S. Vickers (Taranaki) rcgafdewS to proposals .as destructive and revolutionary. If backblock hospitals were closed grave hardship would bo imposed on a large number of people. He moved body securities is granted in the case an' amendment recommending that the executive, in conjunction with the Director-G-eneral of Health, explore the possibility of grouping hospital districts for the purpose of simplifying the conditions.

Air. J. K. Hornblow (Palmerston North) seconded the amendment and thanked Dr. Begg for bringing down the proposals. He, however, objected strongly to the stand and deliver attitude of the Wellington Board which had attempted to stampede the Government into passing legislation. He agreed that it was desirable to reduce lUie number of hospital districts but there was a right way to go about it. Dr. Gunson (Auckland) contended that no hospital should close unless adequate arrangements were made for patients.

Mr. H. J. Otley (North Canterbury) considered the present system the best although an amalgamation of some districts was desirable.

Rev. M. Wood (Auckland) moved an amendment expressing the view that machinery for reducing the number of hospital districts should be provided and that a committee of three be set up to consider the best way of giving effect to this. Mr. Wood's amendment was carried and a committee was set up to report to-morrow.