HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3488, 18 January 1921, Page 6

HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION

-COHBI NATION OF WEST COAST j BOARDS. iVi 3/.t t ber ;i confer tree (says the 13L7.. Jo-wrval ei KeaKh and Hospitals) "was he'fC Vr.T^yzix’-w- h b-nwc:-" Dr Valintine, Dr (f. Hospitals), and the memr«rca ft! ih'tt feu r Goaet boards—viz., ®rey, I?tiller, and Inangahua. Ji. hi 3 •‘'pr&niiLjf lemarks Dr Valintine dealt v: ixh the foo&piuU. system of the dominion. In Txyj looked upon public hospitals as channel-aorisefl, but to-day their views had changed, and people realised the value of ouch ins t i in t ions. With reference to the '•ysteia of control, an expert’s opinion was that there was no system better fitted to bo r.daped in the British Empire than the New Zealand system. The speaker then dwelt on the idea of amalgamation. He urged those present to consider the amalgamation of hos- I pital boards with the base hospital at Greymouth. Another matter oi importance was that each of the four hospital boards on the Coast—Westland excepted—had on old people's home in conjunction with the hospital, and this he considered was a big mistake. lie knew the conditions under which the old people were housed on the Coast, and such were not a credit to a community noted for its generosity and warm-hearted-ness. He only asked them to go to other districts in Nc.v Zealand, and they would see how far behind the Coast was in its provision for the old people. He did not wish to speak personally or convey any offence, but he could not help but state that the conditions under which the old people at Greymoulh were housed was a scandal. He urged a central institution for the whole of the Coast. It was quite necessary to have such an institution within easy reach of a medical man, and it might he best to establish it at Greymoulh. Speaking of the facilities provided for expectant mothers, lie said Westland was far behind other districts in tb is respect, and he hoped a maternity ward would be established at the various hospitals; whilst for the outlying districts there would Seed to be established cottages for nurse-

midwife activities. There was another matter he would ask the board to consider. For some time poet the West Coast boards had been sending their consumptive patients to Cashmere Sanatorium; but the demand on this institution was becoming so great that it would be necessary to establish another sanatorium in the booth Island. Investigation by experts had led to the choice c[ Central Otago as being undoubtedly the best place in the South Island to erect a sanatorium. He asked the collective boards to seriously consider the question of establishing such an institution, which would cost in the vicinity of £50,000. With regard to Government assistance, they could bo quite sure that West Coast boards would receive a larger subsidy than had been granted in the past. In conclusion, he said he felt sure that those present would view the various questions in the widest manner and assist the department in a successful administration. Dr Wylie urged the boards on the Coast to combine and have established on the Coast special departments for treatment. With such methods property co-ordinated they would have the finest hospitals of Sew Zealand. At the present time there were untrained masseurs and men practising in electrical treatment who were endeavouring to till a gap which medical men as a profession, and those present U 3 representatives of hospital Loards, should themselves achieve. In answer to the question, Why should they support special departments'? he would say (1) they were going to cure more people than had been cured in the past, and (2) where people were suffring from incurable diseases they were going to relieve them of much pain. The X-rays was a most important instrument in fighting cancer; it assisted in. obtaining the best results at operations, whilst in the inoperable cases the X-rays helped to minimis© suffering. A lengthy discussion followed, during which Mr Wild (chairman of the Westland Board) »oid that, with regard to the establishment of special departments, he favoured the idea of centralisation, always bearing in mind the uncertainty as to whether the population of the Coast would warrant an elaborate undertaking. He supported the proposal for a

combined old people’s home, established, say, within a mile or so of Grey mouth, so that the institution could go in for agricultural works and thus minimise the cost of upkeep. After some discussion, a resolution by Mr. Wild was unanimously carried to the effect that the conference approved of the centralisation of an old people’s home on the Coast. The Conference also expressed itself in favour of a proposal to erect a sanatorium in Central Otago. As regards the establishment of maternity homes in connection with the respective institutions, the Grey Board decided to undertake immediately the erection of such an institution on the hospital grounds. In commenting upon the proposed centralisation of a home for the aged, the Hokitika Guardian states: —“This will be favoured because of the economy it will ensure. And with economy there should also be greater comfort for the old people in the improved accommodation it would be possible to uflrd in a central home. But members should put aside any hope of such a home being selfsupporting in th© way of garden or dairy produce if the labour of the old people is to be the. motive power. The old folk in genej xal have passed the allotted span of life bej fore entering 'he homes, and are most'y : not able to do everything for themselves. It is nursing and individual care they require, ' : and very little work on their part can ba ! looked for. There is no doubt the homes now : in use on the Coast are old and obsolete. ; They are buildings which have served their j day first as hospitals, and their lack of modernity certainly condemns them for hygienic reasons. They are all fairly ripe | with age and ready for condemnation. ReL : building is in some instances highly neces- , sary, and if this has to be faced, then the j : proposal to build a central home has a good deal to commend it. As to site, Gxcymouth would be the more central at the moment. It i \ has to be remembered that Westland is ) spreading more and more south, and in a t deoado or two the balance might be moved, i particularly as the railway goes south. That, 3 however, is for tile future. For the present £ . and some time to come Greymouth has some - ' claim which cannot be reasonably ignored, i and for the sake of the comfort and happiness

of the aged who have to seek such a final resting-place for tho evening of their days a new home convenient and modern in every way is not too much to desire. As to the sentimental side of the question, we cannot but think that homes of this nature should be of a national and not a local character. They should be removed from the surroundings of charity, as it were, and placed in a suitable position for occupation as a right. It is a call of humanity to provide for the assured comfort of the aged. The country attempts this with the pension scheme, which is there as a right for those who need it. So with those less fortunate who, as years creep on them, find themselves lcs3 able physically to care for themselves, tile doors of tiie home should stand open, and they should be welcome to enter. That should be a national and not a local charge. Indeed, the whole question of public health is tending to that direction, for the people of the poorer localities should have the same opportunities of expert means of regaining failing health as those of the richer localities. The populous, wealthy community has no difficulty iu conducting a well-staffed and equipped institution, whereas it is a struggle and a denial for the poorer quarters of the dominion to provide perhaps indifferent institutions which the health officers tell us are behind the cities. Because of this, nationalisation of all health administration is the inevitable, in which case the department could work its sweet will without overtaxing the people locally.”