HOSPITAL OVERCROWDING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 30 August 1945, Page 4

HOSPITAL OVERCROWDING

COMPLAINT FROM NORTH AUCKLAND * Dargaville. Aug. 28. “Patients who are dying are screened off by a flimsy screen and the other patients lie awake while they die, with the relative waiting round,” said the medical superintendent, Dr. G. A. Delautour, when amplifying his written report on the lack of accommodation at the Northern Wairoa Hospital, particularly m the women’s ward, to members of the Kaipara Hospital Board. Saying he intended to draw the attention of the Director-General of Health to the condition®, the superintendent added that the situation in regard to accommodation for women had become intolerable. The women’s ward was so overcrowded that patients could roach out and touch each other. “The hospital has never been so busy for so long a period,” lie said. “We have always been able to cope with short rush periods, even by putting women and children in the men’s ward. This week, however, I was placed iu the dilemma of having nowhere to put a woman who was actually in labour and who was suffering from an infectious disease and could not be accommodated in the annex for that reason. “The following day room had to be found for a child with typhoid fever, a woman requiring an urgent operation, and another admission to the women’s ward, and the health inspector- rang to ask if 1 could admit several cases of scarlet fever ” In the children’s ward, the superintendent continued, the staff was nursing an adult with scarlet fever, a child with typhoid fever, a mother with a baby, several bottle-fed babiee and various medical and surgical child cases, and on top of that a nurse had to tramp to and fro from the T.B. shelters. In the women’s ward, which had a capacity of only 15 beds they had hnd two stretcher® up almost continuously for two months, amj there were seven hods occupied by chronic cases. There were no side rooms to nurse very ill cases. There was no signal system, no separate bed lighting and no adequate service room®. The accommodation for women had become intolerable. The only immediate prospect for relief would be to open 911 old women’s home, but some permanent relief would have to he commenced because a staff simply could not carry on under these conditions.” The Director-General of Health. Dr. Delautour added, held the view that it was not a question whether this district needed a new hospital but how soon it could get one. But even then, the Direc-tor-General was not aware of how acutely distressing the position was. and cases of scarlet fever and diphtheria might embarrass the board still further., The question of endeavouring to secure extra accommodation was left in the hands of the chairman. Mr. G. Stillworthy. the medical superitnendent, and the matron.