HOSPITAL BOARDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20039, 4 March 1927, Page 7

HOSPITAL BOARDS.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. THE CONCLUDING SESSION. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 3. The Hospital Boards’ Association concluded its annual conference to-day., A remit that the support of the association be given to the movement for the inauguration of a Hospital Matrons’ Council was moved by the Taranaki delegates. Several speakers gave the remit very strong support, and the motion was carried by a large majority. The decision was greeted with applause. “I think that some of the hospitals are taking advantage of these young men,” said Mr M. Fraser (Taranaki), “in giving them less than £IOO per annum. They have hard and responsible work.” This remark was made in the course of the discussion on a remit from Palmerston North proposing that graduates from the University Medical School should be called upon to enter into a 12 months’ engagement when taking a position with a hospital board. The complaint was that young medical men only stayed two or three months at the secondary hospitals, and went off tc tho larger ones to get more experience. It was stated that some boards paid them £9t) per annum. “Why should we put a hobble on young students?” asked another delegate. The Chairman (Mr W. M. Wallace) considered that it was a matter for each board to arrange, and another delegate remarked that the proposal was unfair, as other medical men on the staff could determine their engagement by giving the prescribed notice. The remit was rejected. During the discussion of tuberculosis, Mr G. B. Logan (Hawke’s Bay) endeavoured to raise the subject of having a medical inspection of all over the age of but he was not allowed to by the chairman, who insisted on his keeping to the subject. When the general business was called, Mr Logan said that he would like members to take into consideration the establishment of diagnostic clinics in the various centres in New Zealand, both for tho sick and well. All over tho age of 40 should submit themselves for an overhaul. It was said that the general practitioners should, do this but they did not have tho equipment. He, would like first of all to see clinics established in Wellington and Christchurch, to which doctors could send patients for a general inspection. The system had worked admirably in America, There were no further remarks, and the subject lapsed.