WAIKATO SANATORIUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17556, 23 August 1920, Page 6

WAIKATO SANATORIUM.

DECISION TO CLOSE DOWN. A DOCTOR'S OPPOSITION. . I REPLY TO' DEPARTMENT. - [fit TELEGRAPH.—OW» CORRESPONDENT.] \' :i - :;' MORBINSVILi/B. Saturday. I A medical man, interviewed \ concerning j [ the proposal to closb the ■ Waikatq; Sana*.' I torium, gave some interesting views v with j regard to the decision, which he described | as a" scandal. The r Minister .1 for Public • Health, r he says, , has decided sto close the sanatorium,' giving the; following reasons; for his decision :--(l) Diseult.y of Access andTrnsuitability of site; (2) the buildings are out of date, and would -cost too much to make up-to-date; (3) the Department's officers' express themselves as •,? rather against sanatorium treatment; and {4} the cost of running is expensive. ?.=?"; ,*• . - k {v Dealing with the various - objections in their order, the doctor said the eanatpf t ium is about seven miles from Cambridge, approached by a wellonetttlied road,.;' on which hundreds .of poinds have recently been spent. The situation is central for the whole of the Auckland, Wa*kato, and King Country population, and is the 'best for its* purpose. -' The climate is ideal abundant ■„ sunshine, dry ; atmosphere, - and getting ail breezes. The altitude is 1600 ft. There is no other sanatorium in this half of the island. Qtaki is 380 miles from Auckland, and Waipukarau .is over ' 400 miles. The extra item of cartage up the bill is balanced, by the fact that there are about 500 acres of timber near the top, of the hill to supply fuel, and there is attached ah excellent v farm, supplying vegetables, fruit, eggs, poultry, honey, and mutton for the institution, and "also «good feed for the horses. There 'is a quarry of good metal on the top of the hill, and an } excellent supply of water. That the sanatorium is some distance from the town is an advantage rather than the reverse, for it is advisable for ; patients not to have top many visitors during their treatment. This does not apply to Advanced cases, who should be treated in annexes to hospitals near their relative*.., In short said the doctor, no better situatic(p. could be found /or a sanatorium for the large growing population of the northern half of the North Island.

Repairs Building. Referring to the 'Second point, the doctor said the buildings are of excellent eld timber, much better than can be procured at the present time, and the shelters are excellent in design. In 1916 a large handsome pavilion was built, to accommodate 20 patients in the early- stage of their treatment, when they are confined to bed. This added greatly to the comfort of" the patients, and made the nurses' work much easier. In the last few years all the ; buildings have been painted, and even this year a large con- ' tract was started forrepainting, and if completed nothing would be needed to make the institution quite sound for many years to come. .->fi»w'_" ; Value of Treatment.,.' The doctor described the Department's officers' opinion that they were against sanatorium treatment as too absurd for criticism. The results for the three years T313-16 show that 51 per cent, of the patients were discharged fit to make' a living. , Considerably more actually did return to v work, but' against advice, 'as it was thought they would break down. Even many of these nave actually been able to remain at work. This proportion is excellent, when it is considered that in those years cases in all stages wire accepted for treatment, although some of tbeni were not suitable sanatorium cases. Surely,' he asks, this is sufficient justification for saying the Department's officers* assertion is absurd, and that it is a scandal to close down the place? In those years the superintendent was supported by all the medical* profession in the Dominion, who apparently appreciated the excellent results obtained." Many hospital ;boards visited the institution at the invitation of the superintendent, and expressed their great pleasure with the work done, /J and especially with the excellent dietary of the patients and their happiness. /*.... The Question of Cost. ° . Coming to the question of cost, the doctor said the expenses were too high for many years. For the three years, 1909.12, the average cost per head was £185 per annum, reaching as high as £197 in,-1911. In 1913 it was decided by Parliament to close down the institution,/ and this was already started ■ when the decision was reversed, , and instead there . was brought from London an expert, who had for some years been superintendent of the foremost, largest, and most efficiently managed hospital for chest diseases and consumption in the world. In the three succeeding years, 1913-16, be managed, by preventing waste and by proper administration, to steadily bring down the cost of the institution, until in the year 1916 the cost was reduced to the remarkably low figure of £91 per head per annum, that is less than half the original coat, even although in that year the cost of living generally, and especially of institutions, had greatly increased. : This cost compared favourably with any sanatorium in the world in that year. These figures are from reports presented to Parliament. It, since that time, the coat of the institution has increased out of all proportion to the cost of living, and if since then the medical profession do hot support the institution as they did in 1913-16, then, surely, lie asks, an inquiry into thecauses should precede the closing of such an important institution ?

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