NATIONAL HOSPITAL DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3765, 11 May 1926, Page 54

NATIONAL HOSPITAL DAY.

OBSERVANCE TOMORROW. . VISIT BY MINISTER OF HEALTH. The movement for the annual celebration of a Hospital Day, which was started only a few years ago, is extending in its scope and influence, and to-morrow it will be observed in Dunedin for the third time. So far as New Zealand is cond the .uavement originated here, and Mr W. E. S. Knight, chairman of the Otago Hospital Aboard, is.now the chair* niau of the National Hospital Day movement in New Zealand. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the birthday of Florence Nightingale. and it has been set apart in various conn' ies in order to turn the attention of the whole community to their own hospital so that the people as a whole may become better acquainted with its aims and ideals. It is no art of the plan to solicit subscriptions to hospital funds on that day. but rather to spread and advance the ideals of service that dominated the work of Florence Nightingale. A year ago in Hospital Week public attention was focussed here on the need for accomm .1 tion for the treatment of infectious diseases, and now the plans of an up-to-date infectious disease hospital are awaiting confirmation. Two years ago interest was centred in the need for a radium and X-ray block, and that is now almost completed. Tu*a year is not intended to lay stress on any particular work required, but to emphasise the importance of developing the humanitarian side of public hospitals. From this the establishment of an up-to-date social service department in the hospital will naturally follow. “Important as it is tini •» hospi J 1 should develop and progress on its scientific side.” said Dr MacEaehern during his recent visit here, "it is just as important that it should be made a human institution. If it degenerates into a soulless scientific me bine, it gives up one-half of its live function. If the right attitude of the true medical scientist animates a hospital, every patient in it should be ai to feel that he or she, as man or worn- is of concern to those who are tending his bodily ills. The watchwords should be service a tl co-operation—co-operation between patient and doctor and nurse, and everyone else concerned in* the

:t organisation. If that is lacking, both sides —patients and heale~° -suffer definitely by the loss. This is a fact well attested by science as well as by commonsense.” This is the spirit which it is desired to spread a 1 during this coining hospital week.

HOSPITAL BOARD’S RECEPTION. At the invitation of the Otago Hospital Board, a reunion of past and present nurses of the Dunedin Hospital was held at ffio Nurses’ Home on Friday afternoon. The council of the local branch of the Trained Nurses’ Association and the Hon. Mark Cohen. M.L C., were also present a« the guests of the matron and staff. The reunion was a preliminary to National pita! Day which is being held on Wednesday next An interesting feature of the function was the presence of Mrs Fraser, one of the first five original trainees in the Dunedin Hospital, who saw service a* far back as 1883. There were also present four of the nurse* of a period very little later (1892) —Mrs Dr Hunter, Mrs Hoffman, Mrs Kirkland, and Mrs Urquhart. Mr W. K S. Knight, chairman of the Otago Hospital Board, expressed his pleasure in welcoming those present. The reunion, he said, was the inauguration of National Hospital Day, which, he was glad to say, bade fair to become a recognised institution in New Zealand. lie hml recently been aopointed chairman of the National Hospital Day Association of the Dominion Whilst in the North Island he had introduced the subject, but it had appeared to fall somewhat flat. However, he hoped that this year’s efforts would be crowned with success, and he was sure that, although National. Hospital Dav would not take up too much of anyone’s tirw\ and the dirties connecter! with it would not bo onerous, those who worked on it? behalf would find the effort well worth while It bad to be remembered, said Mr Knight, that the ho pitals were not only the pronerti* of the ho?n : tal boards, thev belonged f o ihe and National Hospital Day was i n tended to bring home to the neoole their responsibility in regard to thoir institutions He hom>d that, if not quite successful thi« vear. the scheme, if oevsevered with, would ultimately meet with success, and be was convinced that throughnet tho Dominion member? of tbp various hospital board* were cutting their backs into thf» work with a will. Sister Young, president of the local lira nob of the Zen’a ml Trained Nurse*’ Association, briefly outlined the proposed scheme for the training of nurses in a postgraduate course. She said that although two tutors. Miss Moore ami Miss had been collecting valuable data regarding the scheme in Great Britain and America, it seemed at present as if their work was to lie fruitless. Miss Moore had returned prepared to take up her work, and Miss Lninhey was on her way. hut unfortunately nothing was being done. The whole trouble was finance, and although headquarters had sent Miss Moore forward, on her return they were not nrcpnred to do anything to establish a diploma course for nurses at the University. The Chancellor of the University had intimated that the council was willing to go ahead with the matter, hut unfortunately lack of funds stood in the way. This was the day of intensive training, and a post-graduate course for nurses now in training was an absolute necessity. A syllabus had been drawn up. and everything was in working order, but money to finance the project was urgently needed. ft was a matter for the whole of New Zealand, and it seemed that there were those in the country who had at some time or another received help from hospitals and those connected with them, and it was those people to whom they should look for help. The Hon. Mark Cohen. M.L.C., also spoke briefly, and he advocated the necessity in Dunedin for a mothers' rest home on similar lines to those established in other centres. At the conclusion of Mr Cohen’s remark* the visitors were conducted on a tour of inspection of the nurses’ quarters, aiul tho new wing which has just been added to them.