THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5,1907. HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14000, 5 September 1907, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5,1907. HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.

It was inevitable that, as the population in tho larger centres increased and tho demands upon the (accommodation of the public hospitals became greater, the necessity should arise for the exercise of care lest tho functions of these institutions should be rendered unduly elastic. In his annual report the Inspector-general of Hospitals and Charitable Institutions in the colony makes the statement that 110 one could visit our hospitals without being struck by the large number of beds occupied by chronic or incurable patients not ill enough to,justify their taking up beds in a public hospital, but too ill to Warrant their being treated in the ordinary wards of an Old Men's Home where they would have to rely 011 tho unskilled help of their fellow inmates. D/ Valinthio goes so far as to say that many of our hospitals are little more than old men's homes, and this leads him to emphasise the need for the establishment of special wards or institutions for patients such> as, in these cases, form a. large proportion of the inmates. Tho attention of bodies concerned in hospital management and in the distribution of indoor relief has been particularly directed of late to tliOj problem of finding proper provision for patients suffering for tho most part from chronic infirmities attendant on advanced age. The difficulty came into prominence quite recently in connection with tho Benevolent Institution at Caversham, where special provision has been made for the nursing of inmates who are helpless patients, so that the reproach hitherto implied in tho practical absence of permanent skilled help has now been removed from the establishment, even though the Trustees have apparently had some little difficulty in coming to an understanding as to tho extent of additional ward accommodation and nursing requisite. While protest- against an attempt to turn the BenevolentInstitution into a home for incurables may be well meant, the argument 'that the incurables are there and must be properly looked after is unanswerable. 011 the other hand, the Trustees may have some reason for apprehension lest admission will be nought for an increased number of incurable cases ,in future. The fact remains that provision' must be made somewhere in the community for these cases. In other centres, also, action is being taken to remove, as far as.possible, the blot on our charitable aid and hospital system which.' Dr

VaJintine has brought'into prominence. Some months ago the North Canterbury Hospital Board and the Charitable Aid Board set up a joint committee to consider the best means of obtaining a home for incurables, and a scheme'was evolved which, we presume, will shortly have practical ' issue. In Auckland, again, tho Charitable Aid Board is now, making special provision for incurablo or chronic cases, while the trustees of tho Wellington Hospital have undertaken greater responsibilities with regard to tho sick'of the district than obtain in respect of. any other hospital in the colony, for they provide special accommodation for.forty chronic invalids and seventeen consumptives. It is . well to note, however, that the Trustees in Wellington have not escaped considerable criticism ..on account of the hospital expenditure. Dr Valintine, we are notsurprised to find, still lias occasion to (deplore, a shortage of trained nurses available for .certain positions. He might, we think, in his explanation of the causes of this deficiency, liavo laid more stress on tho meagreness of tho remuneration received by nurses 011 a hospital staff and less upon the oxcellenco of tho compensation they can command for their services when—wisely, in their own interests—they leavo the public institutions in order to take up private nursing. The official information on tho point confirm? the public impression that the St. Helens Hospitals aro doing excellent work in tlie four centres.. For admissions - tho . Dunedin institution holds the record so'far with 191 patients' during the past year. So numerous have the applications; been, for admission to this institution, indeed, that the accommodation it affords is- described as insufficient,' while it is represented that in other respects the building fails to meet modem requirements. It is evident that at Dunedin, at anyrate,' the popularity of tho St. Helens Hospital has exceeded anticipations. In view of the fact that these hospitals were expected to be self-sup porting, or nearly so,- it is of interest to. know that the expenditure last year in connection with! the local establishment was £1138 and that the receipts from fees- amounted- to £792. The statistics concerning the ordinary public hospitals show that Wellington Hospital receives the largest, number of patients, 2393 cases having' been treated there last year as compared with 2195 at Auckland, 1635, at Christ-churchj and 1605 at Dunedin. : A somewhat singular return suggests that Auckland Hospital was the scene of na fewer than (305 deaths during the year, 1 or more than three times the. normal number, but it is reassuring to find that elsewhere'in the .report a,comparative table reduces the number of deaths to 189, which we take to be the correct figure. • This reduced total of mortality is still tho highest for the colony, without, however, being the highest in proportion to the number of cases treated.' For daily average cost per patient Christ-church Hospital stands well in the lead with a cost 1 ; of ss, lid per head. Somewhat surprisingly, Wellington Hospital has tho lowest rate in this connection,'' with an average head of 4s 9£d per day. The cas\ial'observer will be 1 struck, - on glancing at the comparative statistics, by the apparent popularity among patients that is enjoyed by the Boss Hospital, for the average of'the individual patient's -stay there is no less than ninety-three days. Obviously this is one , of the hospitals of the colony which has becomo something of an old men's-home, and Dr Valintine explains that: on the occasion of his last visit to it there were- eight patients, all chronic or old men. Dr Valintine speaks appreciatively of the manner in which the! Dunedin,'Hospital, and the Benevolent Institution are looked after, arid has a, good word to say for the apparent excellence in structure and design of the new wards 'that- sh'ould very shortly be-ready for occupation in the former institution.