UNREGISTERED HOSPITALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18275, 16 December 1922, Page 11

UNREGISTERED HOSPITALS.

MATERNITY CASES TREATED.

FINES IMPOSED ON NURSES. [BV TELEGHAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENf.J MORRINSVILLE. Friday.

Two Morrinsville maternity nurstis were charged in the Morrinsville Magistrate's Court yesterday, on the information of the Health Department, with conducting unlicensed hospitals.

Counsel for the defence said that at the time of the inspector's visit one of the defendants had three cases in her home. One was a serious case of haemorrhage. The defendant had acted in accordance with the common dictates of humanity. It was impossible for her to do otherwise. Counsel pointed out that although both defendants' homes were well known to the department, no warning had been given them concerning provisions of the Act, which required that not more than oiio patient at a time should be admitted to the home. There was no registered hospital in Morrinsville prior to 1919.

The circumstances in the second casts, said counsel, were similar. The assistant-inspector of the Health Department, Mr. Bagley, said that the defendants had been conducting illegal private hospitals- The department had had a lot of trouble with people -who were lot nurses conducting hospitals. Thelepartment desired to encourage trained uirses to take up their profession in the :ountry.

The" magistrate, Mr. J. H. Salmon, 5.M., said the cases presented some difficulty. It was cbvious that both defendants had been doing a real public service, especially as there was no private hospital in Morrinsville until 1919. There were mitigating circumstances, and the charges amounted to little more than technical breaches. Each defendant would be fined £2. The magistrate added that the Act provided for a penalty of £5 per day for every day the offence was continued.

OASE IS DEVONFOBT.

OBLIGATION ON PATIENT.

A maternity nurse appeared on fire charges of keeping her house as a privat* hospital without a license. The casewaa brought under the Hospital and charitable Institutions Act, 1909. Counsel for defendant stressed the point that it was impossible for a second patient to secure entry into any other home in Devonport, and this had influenced the accused in taking her in. The police admitted that the house was kept clean "and that there was nothing against the defendant. „„«,n„ The magistrate remarked that moro-uy the second patient should pay of the fine he would impose and the costs. He fined the accused £1 for one offence, and costs only on the other charges. __,_■_———