HOSPITAL POLICY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 12 June 1926, Page 11

HOSPITAL POLICY

(MINISTER AT PALMERSTON NORTH (United Press Association.) PALMERSTON N-, June 11. i A conference took place at Palmerston North yesterday between the Minister of Health (tlie Hon. J. A. Young) and | Director-General of Health (Hr. T. A. j V’iilintino) and the, Palmerston North j Hospital Hoard, principally regarding what form of hospital should lie continued at Otaki and the question of establishment of a, maternity hospital at , Pnlinersluu. North . The Minister .suggested that Otaki should nut he lelt 'without any local service. He thought I the board should establish a. maternity ward of four beds and two other beds for the reception of urgent sickness and accident cases, which would he transferred to Palmerston North by ambulance at the earliest possible moment. Tin* Minister said that major sub,hospitals would not, he allowed in the iitiuit*. All .major operations should be performed at the base hospitals, of j which there would he only one for each district, and Otaki was not going to be I made a major sub-hospilal. lie realised ilhe difficulties of the bottl'd, but thought it should provide some maternity treatment, at Otaki. The members of the board deemed the Minister’s suggestion too costly, iThey said they would, j'alher retain the j old system. It was pointed out that when the maternity hospital was established at Palmerston North trained | maternity nurses would serve the eounj try districts by going to the homes, hence, perhaps there would be no need of a maternity ward at Otaki, in which ease the board would consider the rest of the Minister’s suggestion regarding •emergency wards. After lengthy discussion, i( was unanimously resolved to leave the. matter lof a decision entirely in the hands of (lie iMinister to say what the board must do. In reference to the maternity hospital, Mr A. Nash, ALP., said the St, Helens Home fund, amounting to £33CQ. had been offered to the board unconditionally towards building such an institution. The estimated cost, of the building was £OSOO, but the total would probably be £IO,OOO. The Minister was asked for a 24s subsidy in the £ on the total cost. Mr Young replied that the board bad a good case for that subsidy on the amount raised, but not on the total cost of the building. He disputed the contention that what was now asked bad been promised by earlier Ministers. In any case the maximum subsidy'was now 20s. The matter was deferred to enable Mr Nash to go into the question with the Minister at Wellington.