CASUALTY CASES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25202, 15 May 1945, Page 4

CASUALTY CASES

HOSPITAL TROUBLE "WILL NOT BACK DOWN" "I said I was totally dissatisfied with the casualty department and I will not back down one word," said the chairman, Mr A. J. Moody, when the department was the subject of another long discussion at a meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board last night. Answering criticisms made by Mr Moody and Mr J. Grierson at the last meeting of the board, a letter from the executive of the medical staffs said that many of the chairman's statements were, untrue. It added that the suggestion? of irresponsibility and inexperience on the part of the residents, and especially in casualty, were unjustified and detrimental to the work of the hospital. "We welcome the suggestion that the hospital executive should review the position and hope the board will then make adequate arrangements of space, equipment and staff, to meet the present demands of the department," continued the letter. Much of the work was not true casualty work, but concerned admissions, medical and surgical opinions. The present state of the casualty department was largely the work of the chairman himself. j, "Lack of Supervision" Although the matter had been referred to the hospital executive three weeks ago it had not yet reported, said the chairman. He doubted whether the letter should be received. The casualty department was the most important in the hospital, but the lack of supervision there was obvious. "I suggest that this board take the matter bv the teeth and say what has to be done." continued the chairman. "In the old days before a doctor was put into casualty he had to have three months or more orthopaedic experience. Now he does not. I think one of the present orthopaedic registrars should nc detailed by the medical superintendent to take over. Another sister should be appointed to go round the people and see what is wrong. "This staff is there to learn and must j have adequate supervision," added Mr j Moody. "The complaints I have had in ] the last three weeks justify my state- 1 ments and letters like this do not lend to proper harmony." Mr J. Guiniven, who moved that the j letter be received, said that putting on ! more doctors would not help. The de-1 partment treated about 400 people ; a day, and only 100 could be classed as; casualties. The two types should be j separated. Public Censuring Opposed An appeal to the board to cease the public censuring of its staff was made by Mr G. T. Parvin. He was supported by Mr Selwyn Morris, who said that when anything went .wrong in a large institution it was nearly alwavs the organisation and not the individual at fault. "It is for the medical profession to give us the guidance and we will follow them," said Mr Moody. With the return of young doctors many cases now being treated in casualty would be treated at doctors' homes. He did not blame the doctors, but the administration. It was left to the hospital executive to give the board some answer. Mr Guiniven's motion, which was seconded by Mr Moody, was passed and the letter was received. SAKISHIMA RAIDS

BRITISH FLEET PLAKES DAMAGE TO AIRFIELDS (From Noel Chappell, P.A. Correspondent with British Pacific Fleet) AT SEA, May 4 Following the bombardment of Miyako yesterday, when battleships and cruisers poured streams of 14.6 in and 5.25 in shells into all three airfields and adjacent installations at point-blank range, the British task force the following day returned to the attack on Sakishima Islands. Three bomber forces were sent during the day against the airfields on Ishigaki and Miyako, and rendered unserviceable all those available for use. It wa6 found that overnight the busy Japanese had partially repaired the Hirara and Nobara fields on Miyako. The. third, that at Sukama, was still unserviceable. The bombers destroyed three planes on the ground and reported many hits on runways and no opposition. The fleet approached the islands during the day and only one Japanese plane was shot down after a long chase at 30.000 ft.

POWER IN BACKBLOCKS RETICULATION BOARD PLAN WITHDRAWAL OF SUPPORT Rescission of a motion approving of the establishment of a rural reticulation board with power to levy on power boards and supply authorities was decided on by the Auckland Electric-Power Board yesterday on the motion of Mr S. I. Crookes. The proposal was made at the power boards' conference at Napier last year, when the right to surrey the proposed empowering bill was safegtwrded, and later adopted by the Auckland board. The object was to aid financially in the reticulation of backblock and other areas by a levy of i per cent on the contributors, who would include the hydro-electric section of the Works Department. The proposal to rescind the motion was debated at length by the board. Mr Crookes said that a vital principle of local body government was involved in the suggestion that an outside, nonelective body should have power to levy on the funds of power boards. Backblock areas needed reticulation, but the money to pay for unprofitable work of the" kind should come properly from the great pfofit made by the hydro-electric undertakings of . the Works Department. The proposed board would have five members, two from the Works Department and three from the Power Boards Association. Mrs M. M. Dpaver said the reticulation of outer lying areas was a national question and one that would prove increasingly important in rehabilitating servicemen going on the land. The secretary, 'Mr X. M. Speer, said the levy would be on net sales of current and would total £20,615 at £ per cent. A sum of £6OOO would be found by the Works Department. Almost all the members of the board spoke before the motion was put and carried by, seven votes to three. Mrs Dreavcr asked that her name should be recorded as opposed to the rescission.

DEATH OF AIRMAN WELL-KNOWN YACHTSMAN The death has 4 occurred of LeadingAircraftman Kenneth John Otter, aged 22, at the Military Annexe of the Auckland Hospital. He was the only son of Mr F. W. Otter, of 99 Warnock Street, \\ estmere. Leading-Aircraftman Otter was born in England, coming out to New Zealand at an early age. He was educated at the Bayfield school where he gained the Rawlings Scholarship in 1935, and the Mount Albert Grammar School. He was coxswain of the rowing eight for the Mount Albert School in 193<, and was later well known in yachting circles. In 1941 he transferred from the Army to the Royal New Zealand Air force, leaving for overseas in March, 1943. He returned to New Zea land in May, 1944, going overseas again in December of the same Year. While he was away he became ill, and was sent back to New Zealand last April. ROYAL SPOONBILLS The attention of shooters in Canterbury has been drawn to the appearance at Lake Ellesmere of a colony of roval spoonbills. These are Australian birds allied to the herons, which in flight they closely resemble. They are protected by law.