HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27447, 21 July 1950, Page 8

HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION

Sir,—Your report in Wednesday’s issue of the meeting of the University Council raises a question of the utmost importalic® t 0 . the _ public. The University clearly, showed that it had very definite designs on infiltrating into the Otago HosPnt al ,? oard V Thls , l! L a vital matter affecttog aU members of the public. The board is elected by the people to watch and protect their interests in hospital administration, and a very real interest it if Q f® r . an y° n u e unfortunate enough to have £®®b or who has near lel *“ fives in ill-health.

If the affairs of the board are lndifmanaged the answer lies in th. ballot box. The interest of the Uifiversity is in teaching, and .any representsfives it would seek to put on the board are not responsible to the pubic. Th. primary duty of the board is administration for the care of the patient; the priory concern of the University Is teachmg- Obviously it would be completely and entirely wrong to let the University penetrate into the board.

,„5 Il L Joel l .tof a moment of wishful' thinking the patients would not suffer as the Medical School existed solely for the purpose of assisting them. ■ This la a ™° st unrealistic attitude and ignores th. fundamental principle. - The Medical School exists mainly, for'the purposes of teaching, and you cannot have it 1 , both W, "Joint Relations Committee . ,which he refers was to have a 5-2 majority in favour of the University over the board—a nice basis for the co-opera-tion, he suggests. It has always ■ been * appreciated that facilities for training must be given at the Hospital, and thi. has been done over the years. foJ h t e h o U^lV! ; rs i ty have bttle support 1 vi? 6 ! 3 adopting, and th« must stand firmly behind l- the* board ?and resist any encroachment, (>f its rights.— l am, etou ’•-MV.:, . Ceu,