HOSPITAL EQUIPMENT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 580, 28 June 1913, Page 5

HOSPITAL EQUIPMENT.

A TAUMARUNUI CASE.

ENQUIRY AUTHORISED

The death of a young man named Henry Smith, which was attributed the long delay in the performance of an amputation, owing to the long train journey from Taumarunui to the Hamilton Hospital, gave rise to meetings of indignation at Taumarunui recently, and representations were made to the Department of Public Health demanding an inquiry into the circumstances. Smith, it Will ne remembered, had his leg crushed in the busn some miles from Taumarunui, and was rifekken to the Taumarunui Hospital, Bm as the equipment there was insuffiHftt to enable the medical superintenPPant to perform an amputation, the patient was forced to undergo a long and tedious journey to Hamilton, which, it is alleged, brought about his death. , A letter regarding the case was read before the Waikato Hospital Board on Thursday from the InspectorGeneral of Hospitals, in which he stated that the Minister naa directed him to instruct the board to make a full inquiry into the circumstances. The letter pointed out that when the Taumarunui Hospital was handed over ' to the board it was well equipped, and without doubt the statement attributed to the medical superintendent ot the hospital, that there was_ not sufficient equipment to justify him to perform an amputation, needed full explanation. Dr Douglas said that at the time there were one sister and one probationer at Taumarunui, while there were two other nurses confined to their beds, and were included in the eight patients mentioned. When this case came in the doctor did not connmunicate with the Waikato Hospital informing: the authorities here that extra assistance was needed. The Taumarunui staff could easily have proceeded with the amputation, and meanwhile additional assistance could have been on the way down. Dr Mac Knight had stated that he knew the Waikato Hospital was also short-handed. So it was at that time, £ut in an emergency of this description, assistance would certainly have been ![sent had it been asked for. Dr Kenny thought the board should repl" to Dr Valintine to the effect that it did not hold itself in any way responsible for the death of Mr Smith, as the Taumarunui Hospital was thoroughly equipped so far as the requirements of this particular case was concerned. They should further state that the board was of opinion that had assistance been asked, it would certainly have been supplied, and that the fact ol the case being sent to Hamilton showed a want of intuition on the part o£ the doctor in not proceeding with the operation himself, or in applying for assistance to enable hm to do so. » The suggestion was adopted,and tne press was asked to emphasise the fact that Dr Mac Knight had stated that the hospital was thoroughly equipped.