HOSPITAL ATTACKED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18896, 19 December 1924, Page 12

HOSPITAL ATTACKED.

DEATH OF A CHILD.

PARENTS' ALLEGATIONS.

URGENT INQUIRY ORDERED.

THE RAETIHI INSTITUTION.

[r.tY TELEGRArU. —OWN CORRESrONDS.-IT.' WANG AN UI. Thursday. Serious allegations were mado at the monthly meeting of the Wanganui Hospital Board in connection with the Raetihi Hospital, and as a result an inquiry is to be held. The following letter was read :— " I would like to ask a few questions conccrning my child, Eileen Stnines, who was taken to Raetihi Hospital 011 October 29 and died on November 13. We took the child to Dr. Cook and 110 ordered her to the hospital. The child arrived about threo o'clock, anrl was operated on the samo day for appendicitis. Tho child was doing well from the Thursday to tho Monday. As 1 could sco that my child was in great pain, I proposed to the matron that a doctor should see her every day. As no doctor had been in attendance since the operation, I wished to call Dr. Boyd ami hear his opinion of the child's condition. The matron strongly objected, and said if we called in Dr. Boyd we would have to take the child from the hospital. Dr. Cook did not seem to like the idea of Dr. Boyd seeing thi! child. However, Dr. Boyd saw the child and said that her condition was satisfactory. There was a second operation. After a third operation Dr. Cook wished to sec me. I went to Ohakune and he arranged with Dr. Feltham to see the child every day. He asked me it 1 would agree to it, and 1 said that 1 would. Dr. Cook told us after the third operation that the child was all right and in no danger, and if anything serious happened he would be out to the hospital himself. He was rung up for the fourth operation and, as he could not go out, it was done by Dr. Feltham. The matron know that Dr. Cook would have liked it arranged for a doctor to see the child every day, and I think it was tho matron's place to have told me, or seen that there was a doctor to see the child every day, seeing that she was in charge of the hospital.— John Staines, Pokrtko."

Diet Aiter Operation. A lettor from Mrs. Stairins said: "Jliese p are a few of the facts. \\ hen my clli 1(1 j

was ill the matron even allowed me to

sleep in the same ward as the child. As soon as wo asked for Dr. Boyd she almostturned me from the hospital and told me the child would get on better without me. She would not allow me to see the child,

which craved for me, until Mr. Staines had to persuade the matron to lot mo sit with her, and Dr. Cook rang me und told me I was only to see tlie child lor live minutes. Tho matron suid that the child was getting better and that it. must go one way or other with her before Friday as she was going oi her holidays. The child died. After the third operation she was given letince salad, potatoes, meat and sweets (all on one plate), jelly, cream, blancmange and stewed pears. She was told that she had to eat it all and leave none. She cried and told rne of it, but the poor little rnite is not hero to stick up for herself. I would like justice done to my dead child." Board Seriously Concerned.

Mr. A. H. Rogers said it was a serious allegation that the child had not been looked at for several days. He did not know anything about the diet, but he would not have liked to have taken it himself after an operation. Mr. T. H. Battle suggested that the matter should bo referred to the medical superintendent, and then bo referred back to the executive to see what form an inquiry should take. Mr. Rogers said that a searching inquiry should bo made. They owed that to the public. If there was anything wrong it should be remedied. No member of tho board would like his child treated as it was alleged this child had boen.

Mr. Ritchie said that the Raetihi l.'ospital was costing £1500 a year, and for ono patient they had two doctors, a matron, two nurses, a probationer, a housemaid, and a cook. Mr. Rogers: Didn't we decide that no surgical cases should lie sent in ? Dr. Skerman: Only urgent cases. Mr. Rogers: Isn't there any diet set down ?

Tho chairman, Mr. E. E. Fletcher, moved that an inquiry be held. Mr. Ritchie: And go up if necessary. The Chairman: The Waimarino County Council has already spoken about the necessity of affairs at tho Raetihi Hospital being looked into. Mr. Rogers: This inquiry wants holding at once. Mr. Battle urged that an urgent inquiry be hold and that the chairman and secretary arrange the date. This was unanimously agreed to.