MAHER OF URGENCY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26915, 29 October 1948, Page 6

MAHER OF URGENCY

More Maternity Beds Needed In Dunedin

REGULATIONS TOO RIGID

“It seems to me that when humanity and regulations clash, the regulations should be made to bend a little,” said Dr J. H. Fulton at the Otago Hospital Board monthly meeting last night when supporting a statement made by Dr N. H. North, who expressed serious concern at the lack of maternity beds in the city and the rigid adherence to Health Department regulations which laid it down that maternity homes could take only a certain number of patients each month.

The birth of an infant was unpredictable, Dr North said, to within a day or two, or a week. A woman might go to a home at 9 o’clock at night, and the matron may _ have a patient .going out next morning, but because she had the regulation number of patients in the home she had to turn the new patient away. All the private maternity homes, with Hill Jack, were working to full capacity and in full co-operation one with another. One helped the other out. “You will remember that Sir Bernard Dawson has said here that if the beds are further restricted he would be unable to cope with the cases in Miller Ward,” Dr North said. “ I understand that the matron at Quendon'has been told by the Health Department to limit her admissions. In |ier endeavour to meet the requirements of the public, she has exceeded the limit laid down by the department’s regulations, and has been told by the department that she will be penalised. “I want to make it quite clear that it would be better for the matron to adhere to the regulations,” Dr North said. “It would be much easier for her. She would have less work, less bed linen to worry about. If the matron liked she could refuse admissions to a lot of people, and also refuse to co-operate with tlje other homes.” . The board, however, had to remember what Sir Bernard Dawson had said. Further, permission had been refused to use Marinoto, and they could not rebuild El Nido. Hill Jack was ruhning to full capacity, and the birth rate was not falling, as might be supposed. “El Nido had a record in the past second to none in the country,” Dr Ndrth continued. “When the Hospital Board took it over the Health Department demanded certain alterations. We did these, and then additional alterations were again asked for. “Plans were submitted to Wellington, but were turned down, and alternative plans suggested. These would have involved the board in an expenditure of between £BOOO and £9000.” Such expenditure was not warranted on an old building, he added. Women were entitled to have the doctor of their choice at a confinement. What could the board do about it? he asked. “ The only way out is to make representations to Wellington to have the minimum alterations carried out at El Nido, so that those 12 or 14 beds can become available to the public. I think every effort should be made to open El Nido as soon as possible. I think the board should ask the Health Department to adopt a more reasonable attitude to help these fine women —these matrons of homes who are endeavouring to help the public,” Dr North added. The urgency was an ever-present one, and could only be solved by rapid action, but they did not want a conflict with the Medical School if that could be avoided, he said. Mrs N. Boss: It seems a waste of money—all those thousands on El Nido. Would they not allow us to go ahead with Marinoto in a modified form? The chairman, Dr A. S. Moody said it was a question of what they could do with Marinoto. He had been told in Wellington they could not have twostoreys in brick. It had to be in steel and concrete. Dr North: What we want 'is minimum requirements for El Nido. We want' something now—not in two or three years’ time. Dr Fulton supported Dr North on the matter of urgency. “ There is something the Government can give us this week. That is the relaxing of the regulations governing the number of patients a matron can take in,” he said. “The Government is insisting that the regulations be strictly adhered to. It is unfair to the women of Dunedin. It seems to me that when humanity and regulations clash the regulations be made to bend a little,” he added. “We should request the relaxing of the regulations restricting the number of patients who may be admitted to a home, and that El Nido be started.” Mrs Ross: I would stilP like to see Marinoto removed from our list of white elephants. Dr Moody intimated that it would be desirable to press first for the opening of El Nido after the expenditure of a minimum sum, and the relaxing of the regulations. Dr North finally moved that “the board request the Health Department to allow the board to carry out the minimum requirements for El Nido as suggested by the board’s architect, and (2) that until such time as El Nido is functioning the Health Department relax in some degree the regulations governing the admissions to hospitals taking in maternity cases in the city.” Dr North said he had been in communication with Dr McMillan, chairman of the maternity committee, who was ill, and had indicated to him what he proposed to outline to the board. Dr McMillan was in full agreement with his statement, Dr North said. The motion was carried unanimously. Other members attending the meeting were Messrs A. A. Reid, J. W. Dove and F. M. Howell, A. Steele, and Miss L. Roberts.