"THE STEPPING STONE”

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12425, 20 April 1926, Page 6

"THE STEPPING STONE”

YOUNG SURGEONS IN HOSPITALS GREATER ATTENTION ASKED FOR COMMENT BY AMERICAN DOCTOR In view of the recent discussions at the Wellington Hospital Board in respect to the. treatment of medical patients by certain surgeons, the observa-' tions of Dr. MacEachern, who is reporting upon New Zealand hospitals, are of topical moment. “It is recommended,” he says in his report, “that medical patients in hospitals throughout the Dominion receive more attention from members of the medical staff of hospitals and not left chiefly in the hands of resident medical officers with limited experience in this particular field. This is also particularly true in the case of infectious diseases. An equal attention to that which is given to surgery should be given to medicine in every hospital. This very condition is due to two factors mainly—“(a) The lack of honorary medical staffs in many hospitals. “(b) The permitting medical superintendents to use the position as a stepping stone to surgery, having with him only a limited staff of resident medical officers generally fresh from college, upon whom a great deal of the responsibility for the care of medical and infectious cases is thrown. He laoks the supervision of an honorary medical staff so essential in every hospital. A. good medical service is indispensable in every hospital. ANAESTHETICS “The administration of anaesthetic* in the Dominion hospitals should he improved ly employing, so far as possible, qualified and experienced persons to give anaesthetics, rather than using inexperienced resident, medical officers, without (in some instances) the proper supervision. One or more doctors in each community should be encouraged to take up this speciality and give it, perhaps, major attention. All resident medioal officers should have this training, under qualified and experienced supervision.” HOSPITALS INSPECTOR It was suggested in the report that an inspector or Director of Hospitals would be an advantage. With this arrangement a bvultiplicity of inspectors would not be required, but the maintaining of the present service exnow attached to the Department who could he called upon to go where required as indicated and approved by the inspector or director of hospitals for the Dominion.