MENTAL HOSPITALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23350, 16 November 1937, Page 10

MENTAL HOSPITALS

CARE OF THE PATIENTS GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS PRAISED SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT (From Our Parliamentary Reporter* WELLINGTON, Nov. 15. Members of both sides of the House voiced high praise of the efforts of the Government to cope with the Dominion’s mentally deficient during the discussion in the House of Representatives to-day on the annual report on the mental hospitals The nrincipal point of criticism during the debate, which lasted nearly two hours, was that there was need for clarifying the procedure adopted in the certification of patients sent out of mental hosoitals on probation. The first speakers, Mr W. J Broadfoot (Opposition, Waitomo) and Mr H. S S. Kyle (Opposition, Riccarton) emphasised the satisfactory nature of the environment created at the hospitals for patients. One point made by Mr Broadfoot was that the department in charge should do something more towards providing housing for the staffs. Mr Kyle complained that the institution in Christchurch— Sunnyside—had lost some of the fame which it had won years ago in producing high-class blood stock. Mr E. J. Howard (Govt., Christchurch South) made the strongest protest heard during the debate about the inadequacy of the certincation system now in operation, it was easy to get into a mental hospital, he said, but under the existing legislation it was very hard to get out, even for those who had recovered. Probably it was easier to get out of gaol. The Act governing the situation was not complete enough. Mr Howard empnasised that he was casting no reflection on those in charge of the mental hosD *Mr S Howard joined with Mr Kyle in a request that something more should be done in the study of goitre in association with mental deficiency, and voiced pleasure at an assurance which the Minister of Health (Mr P. Fraser) gave that further investigations were being made. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Adam Hamilton) also discussed the case of the certification of patients out on probation and suggested that it might be wise for the Government to 16ok into the legislation to see whether some change could be made. It might be possible, he said, to provide that medical men outside the institutions could be asked when dealing with probationer patients that they should certify whether the patients were mental rather than whether they were fully recovered. Mr Hamilton asserted that while a doctor might not be prepared to certify full recovery, as he was asked to do under the existing legislation, he might say whether the patient was mental. In any case it was not fair, Mr Hamilton said, to expect an outside doctor to go as far as certifying full recovery. “ We are overcoming to some extent the very lamentable overcrowding which existed in the past, said the Minister when replying. Referring to overcrowding, Mr Fraser said he was not reflecting on any former Ministers or administrators who themselves had done great things to secure the improvements which had taken place in the system. Such men as Sir Alexander Young, Sir Truby King and the present director, Dr T. G. Gray, had done great things for the mental institutions. There had in time been brought about a change from the old prison outlook at the mental mstitutions to a position where they were run as homes for the patients with as full home environment as possible. ‘ , ’ Replying to suggestions about probation patients Mr Fraser said that at present the friends of such people were advised that a certificate from a doctor affirming complete recovery would be accepted by the authorities. It was nossible that something could be done along the lines suggested to clarify the procedure. The matter would be gone into to see whether a more effective method could be put into operation.