COTTAGE HOSPITALS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3756, 9 March 1926, Page 78

COTTAGE HOSPITALS.

PROPOSED ABOLITION REPORTED. PROTEST FROM SOUTH OTAGO. A report that the Director-general of Health intended to abolish all cottage hospitals, all cases other than emergency being sent to a base hospital, has reached South Otago. .Some opposition to the proposal is evident, for on Tuesday the Br»ce County Council and the Milton borough council met in conference and decided to enter a strong protest. “We are not only lighting tor our own hospital, but for the Owaka Hospital and the little Cottage Hospital at Kaitangata,” stated one speaker, who said that the Director-general intended to carry out his proposal throughout the Dominion. A deputation consisting of Mes&.o Charles Grey, J. Grey, J. Stewart, H. Riddell, and Canon Small waited on the monthly meeting of the council. Mr O. Grey said that the Borough Council was very anxious over the matter of the reported conversion of the Milton Hospital into a maternity home. Members of the South Otago Hospital Board had been approached, and they had defied the truth of the report. However, the rumours were persistent, and it was possible that the change would take place. The borough had communicated with the County Council asking that the two bodies should meet in conference and work together to advance the agitation to keep the hospital. Personally, he was entirely opposeJ to the change. In the first place he had been dead against separation from the Dunedin Hospital. Cr J. Clark: One of the culprits. Mr Grey: “At anyrate 1 arn still against it. I say that I would vote for separation now from South Otago. We would be a long way :tter off in the Bruce County and the Milton borough if the board persists in changing the Milton Hospital into a maternity home. The position is vague as far as we can find out. there being some members of the board in favour of the change and others in favour of the retaining of the hospital.” Cr H. M. Driver, who is also a member of the Hospital Board, said that the majority of the members were not in favour of the hospital being made a maternity home The whole trouble was that the Department of Health was going to push the. matter with the board. The department was taking the same stand throughout the Dominion, and was trying to convert cottage hospitals into maternity hospitals.

“The only way 1 can see out of it is to make up as strong a deputation as possible and go straight to the department,” said Cr Driver. “Some members of the board consider the proposed change a good move, but I personally am strongly against it for it would be the biggest mistake ever made to take away the hospitals from small towns like Milton, where they are fully occupied. We should form a big deputation and say we want the hospital.” Cr Clark: The time is not ripe yet. Cr Driver: No, for the board has not yet discussed the proposal, which is, however, understood .to have been made. Cr dark said he could endorse Cr Driver’s remarks. He knew where the proposal was coming from. Cr Clark spoke of the tvents leading up to the separation from the Otago Board and the formation of the South Otago Board. He knew that strong pressure was being made to convert the Milton Hospital; he had received information first hand. The time was not far distant when maternity hospitals would be built at Milton and Owaka.

The Rev. Canon Small, the' borough’s repieseutative on the ooard. said that nis colleagues on the board had not stated the complete suggestion emanating from the department. At a meeting of the board Dr Chisholm and Dr Valintine attended and a strong tight had been made against the proposal that the hospital should be converted into a maternity home with a ward for emergency cases. “It is a very important matter,” said Canon Small. “I have consulted many medical men and they say such a proposal would be a mistake. In the first place, a double staff would have to be taken on. Dr Valintine pointed out to us the maternity mortality at the piesent time, but it would be double if the staffs went from septic to maternity cases.” There would be no room for two wards, male and female, for emergency cases. In his opinion the proposal to run an emergency ward in conjunction with the maternity ward was a blind. Canon Small continued that the risk of infection would be too great. Dr Valintine had let the board know quite clearly that he was out to abolish the outlying hospitals. At present there wore 12 cases in the Milton Hospital, and on the previous day two cases had been sent to Balclutha to make room for urgent patients. Cases had been admitted to the hospital from Kaitangata, Balclutha, and Clinton, and even from Owaka. and if all the South Otago patients in the Dunedin Hospital were transferred to Balclutha the hospital would be full. Cr Clark: More than full. Canon Small said that it was preposterous to suggest l hat the hospital should be used for any purpose other than contemplated when it was orectod. The hospital was a valuable institution, and although there were times when the beds were not fully occupied, busy times wore also oxpouenced. Many patients who had received attention at Milton would not have lived if thoy had had to bo taken to Balclutha for treatment of an urgent nature. He urged that they should fight with every

power they possessed against the proposal, and if necessary Parliament should be petitioned. The maternity cases at Milton would not at present warrant the establishment of a hospital. They were not only fighting for the retention of their own hospital, but also for the retention of the Owaka and Kaitangata hospitals, which would cease to exist if the proposal were carried out. The hospitals were of vital necessity in districts where dangerous industries like bush-felling and mining were curried on. In conclusion, Canon Small referred to the bad roading to Balclutha, and he had asked Dr Valintine if he had driven over the roads.—(Cries of “Oh! Goodness ” and laughter.) The Mayor (Mr L. W. Potter) also spoke in support, of a protest. Cr Wilson said his sentiments were entirely with the deputation. Cr Sheat said the council would agree that any change in the functions of the hospital would be a grave breach of faith. The district’s representatives on the Hospital Board should be given the support of the ratepayers to oppose any such proposal to the fullest extent.

Cr Renton said that the Milton hospital should be given at least, three years’ trial before any change was considered. Cr Bell also spoke in support of the deputation. The Chairman (Cr T. Scott) said the hospital at Milton was being used daily and now that its value was known it should be retained. He agreed with the deputation that any proposal should be fought tooth and nail, even to the extent of taking the protest to Parliament. The member for the district should be approached. To reserve the hospital only for maternity cases savoured of the department expecting a big increase in the population.— (Laughter). Mr Grey: And a decrease in accidents. Cr Scott: But I think accidents are on the increase. The protest, could be placed before Mr Coates and li>s ministry but unfortunately the “supernumeraries” had a big say. Before the formation of the special committee by the two councils, he would suggest a conference at which a committee could he appointed. Canon Small: It would he a vigilance committee. Or Clark suggested that a strong resolution passed that day should he forwarded to the board. Cr Driver said that the proposal had not been placed before the meeting of the board officially The chairman of the board knew more than the members. Cr Scott: Yes and he keeps it.. I have not spoken to a family which is in favour of the conversion. It is a good sign that mothers and fathers are of the opinion that the hospital should he retained. Tho meeting decided that a resolution of protest should he drafted hy the Mayor and the chairman of the county council.