AUCKLAND HOSPITAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12927, 22 November 1912, Page 7

AUCKLAND HOSPITAL.

ADVICE FROM. THE HON. R. H RHODE?-.

(Per Press AssociiTion.)" ... AUCKLAND, . th,is daj During his present visit to Auckland the Minister in charge of Hospitals (the Hon. R. Heaten Rhodes), Ims made inquiries concerning the administration of the Auckland District Hospital, and in .this connection lie has had the advice ot tho Inspector-General of HospUals (Dr Valintine), who lias also been in tliis. city during the past few days. . : The Minister lias now communicated to the press his opinions of the hospital's affairs.. -Bo .considers that the internal working of tlie institution is of such efficiency as to cause pride to the people of Auckland, and, he'-pays a tribute to tho! good work which tlie honorary medical staff, has done in this respect. Mr 'Rhodes „ refers to ,Dr Maguire; (acting-medical superintendent), us a zealquij and .efficient -officer, whilo^ ,lip also -thinks .that the, junior medical .ofjf*,cers jii'-.a fine lot. : ; Referring to recent rohanges in the method-}; of : adm'inistra.tion, the Minister said tliat foi- some r tune f past it had been .felt thai, the 'actual iidniiiiistrationshould be in, the* l^iids of the medical su]^i*intend«nt'j ..w-lio^w^uld be able to devote' the 'whole fof his' tijtie to that, side of the \v-ork. /'-T lie by4sWs of tho! institution had, accordingly, -been amended, so as to free the medical committee of. many onerous 'duties of administra^i^n. , ■ >.; .;-:-Cv.i VVV , V ; V-,? Dr- Pabst,. as. chairman of, the honorary staff, had ;devoted a great- deal- of time to ; the management of ,the; institution, whereby, ho rendered exoelleiit "service. to the public- The Minister said that he understood there was now complete harmony in medical; nursing and secretarial I departments. Talcing into consideration I the fact that the affairs of tlie Auckland hospital had been .very, much before the public of late, he\tl,_pugUt it was wonderful that tbe institution was in its present state of efficiency. He had no doubt that the - new matron would , find her hands^pretty .Cu.U when slie^toolc up her duties, but if the .Board- and the officers supported ber, and. the ; nurses were truo-So -the traditions of their, pro- ( fessii.ii>, 'i*h® Nursing Department would ; maintai4»its proper place. .As compared jto othe^.. hospitals til*, the pominiqii," Mi* Rhod^'freinarked-'that while he did not j lijce, at tlie. very begi-ining of his official work, to criticise tlie actions of an.iml pQrtant body like , the Hospita.l Board, he ' rruist say that as a .private, citizen, as well as Minister for Public . Health, ihe v-^ry much deplored .the dissensions that had arisen, which had, brought;'sonje.discredit on the system of . local government, ahd had subjected it to criticisms of its opponents. Ho thought there were a t good mahy contributing- cai-fie 3 to the i recent friction. In tlie first place, the • Auckland* Ho&pitajVhad -,101*,, samp., t^ine ' been the battleground for local je-tlous- ; ies.. Then many piat{crs,.w:ere l di^n|sed j, at meetings ot theVßcard which'should ! have been- in , committer. ' There were*. . iin|ortunately, ; some . mem- ■; bers, of local Vbodies who 'liked to make j ■.ensational statements. As a remedy lie ; suggested that more . interest should' bi. ' j taken «by -thei.- public in Hospital Board%iectionSi, V; li- would be well if .the. bulk, of the j hospital, work could be dQiie by "a* hospital committee composed, of some five : members of the Board, as was the custom j vnjith regard, to the management of such institutions in ot%er part§ of the Dp.inin- ' ion, and which was, until recently, the • ptg&tic^ -0f.., ..the. Aucl<lapd j:i^qajd-ij' I 'lni I conclusion, u the 1 v^Unister sai'd he.., was; j prosecuting further inquiries -into certain: • matters, connected -with the Board/, an d^ ;he libped as an . outcbm? .oi..„aji, .thq: trouble,; that. the. Auckland public would I insist on the business/ of- its- excellent hospital. being cpnducted with efficie*n.cyj! harmony and .dignity.- „. . ., :