MENTAL HOSPITALS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20586, 8 December 1928, Page 11

MENTAL HOSPITALS.

REVIEW BY MINISTER. .. r-n-.r-ir.rr i.i S MARKED PROGRESS MADE. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, December 7f A review of the work in hand by the Health Department in connection with mental hospitals was made by the Minister of Health (Mr J. A. Young) in the House of 'Representatives to-day. “It may justly be claimed," said the Minister, “ that since January, 1026/ there has been a very marked improvement in the relationship of the Mental Hospital Department and the public. Its function has been extended very far beyond merely controlling the institutions provided for the care ,of those whose illness has progressed ( so far as to necessitate their detention. In common with all other branches of medical science it is realised that it is in the field of preventions that the greatest success may be looked, for, and the department by means of its clinics at the general hospitals is now coming into contact with mental cases at the incipient stages long before the patients’ conduct becomes such as to necessitate detention in the public interest. He thought it would be generally admitted that during the period for which he had been Minister there bad been a considerable, alteration and improvement in many directions in the mental institutions, all making for modernisation rind bringing into effect present day ideals as to the care and comfort ahd the treat* ment of mental patients. The whole policy had been towards establishing-the villa system. Under tliat scheme no more large, barrack-like buildings were being erected. A villa hospital. consisted of a number of separate relatively small houses or Villas, each one of which was- set apart for-the treatment of persons who had the same class or degree of mental trouble. In this , way 1 they did away with the necessity of recent or curable eases having to associate with cases of .-in unpleasant nature.. How far that policy had been successful might be judged by the many highly complimentary and grateful letters he had received from time to time from relatives and friends, and from cx-patlcnts themselves. It might be taken for granted that any complaints _of a serious nature . received ample publicity, but those communications were infinitesimal ill number compared with those of a more pleasant nature. Mr Young reviewed the hospital works which had been authorised and completed during his term of office, and said' that the -present commitments would provide for fio fewer than 620 patients, and the works completed, authorised or already in hand, accounted for new accommodation for 806 patients. The total capital expenditure on mental hospitals for the three years to March 31, 1928,. was £197,588, and for the current year the sum of £189,852 had been authorised. There was one test which showed how much public confidence was placed in the mental hospital administration, and that was the extent to which persons applied for voluntary admission. During his administration the number of voluntary boarders had risen from 149 to 203, and estimating from the applications during the current year these voluntary boarders would number over 300 at the end of the year.