CONSUMPTIVES IN OTAGO

Otago Witness, Issue 3263, 27 September 1916, Page 52

CONSUMPTIVES IN OTAGO

LACK OF SANATORIUM ACCOMMODATION. A SERIOUS POSITION. A report was received by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board iast week from Dr Lyth relative to the sanatorium, for consumptives. Ho brought up the danger now caused through tho lack of sufficient accommodation to meet the needs of the district. He stated that the present posi tion of affairs was that there were hi the Otago Hospital District 18 cases approved for sanatorium treatment (eight civilians and 10 soldiers), while the 20 beds at the sanatorium were fully occupied. As 17 of the present patients had had less than three months' treatment, there was no immediate probability of a sufficient number of vacancies occurring to permit of these men obtaining treatment at the sanatorium. As only four of the cases he had mentioned were undischarged soldiers, the remaining 14 could not be compelled to enter a sanatorium, and, being early suitable cases.* they had to be coaxed to undergo treatment. If any considerable delay occurred in arranging for their admission it was..possible that half of them would not preswnt themselves when summoned, the result tuning, of course, additional expense end trouble later on in maintaining a number of advanced cases. The Minister of Public Health had recently urged greater energy in the_ search for early cases. Instead of being in of position to carry out that programme in the Otago district, they were now faced with the fact that they could not deal with the cases which applied for treatment, and that only those most requiring treatment could be accommodated in the sanatorium. Ho had been compelled to pass over, as not requiring treatment, a number of patients who in other years would have been sent into the sanatorium, but who had at present so few signs of active disease that they might be allowed to remain at homo, being warned to come up for examination at occasional intervals. In other words, tho standard of what constituted an carl3' case was being lowered, with risk to the prospects of recovery of a certain number of patients. Dr Lyth mentioned that he had asked one of the exeoldiers to consent to entering the Government sanatorium at Cambridge if the Otago sanatorium remained overcrowded, but he had refused. It was difficult to see how the trifling number of 20 additional beds at Cambridge could in any way v/.'th the problem in the dominion. The danger of the position was commented upon by several members, espen.illy in view of the fact that there were qriie a number of soldiers returning who w r ere likely to develop into consumptive cases. Quite a number already were s;>. Mrs Ferguson said that some public scheme would have to be undertaken. She suggested something in the nature of a fruit farm to provide for early cases. The Chairman (Mr J. H. Walker) said that the position was that there wero now 12 men who should be treated, and they had not the opportunity. The department had been approached in regard to accommodation, and no definite reply could be obtained. There was a great deal of laxity somewhere, and the sooner thi people of Otago realised that the board was not in a position to take in the men —through no fault of its own —the better. Tho report was received. A copy is to bo sent io the Minister (the Hon. Mr Russell) and the Inspector-general. During the discussion one of the members stated that

the Minister had been invited several times during recent visits to so and see the sanatorium, but he had refused. Whether Mr Russell was afraid he would have to spend money or not the member could not say, but he added that it seemed as if he knew that expenditure was required.