TREATMENT NEAR HOSPITAL

Southland Times, Issue 23307, 17 September 1937, Page 6

TREATMENT NEAR HOSPITAL

ADVANCED CASES OF TUBERCULOSIS DECISION TO RENOVATE BUILDING AT KEW The necessity of making provision for the treatment of advanced cases of tuberculosis was emphasized at the monthly meeting of the Southland Hospital Board yesterday. . “The accomodation for our chronic and advanced cases of tuberculosis is the most unsatisfactory feature of our present arrangements,” stated the . medical superintendent (Dr L. C. McNickle) in a report to the meeting. It was decided that steps be taken to have the tuberculosis pavilion at Kew renovated. Mr W. M. Norman said it was his opinion that there should be special provision for advanced cases of tuberculosis. If advanced cases were given a chance—if they received treatment in a suitable climate —any of them had a chance of recovery. He knew of cases where a good climate had effected cures after medical opinion had desscribed the patients as being beyond aid. Advanced cases, he said, should not be sent to Kew. TREATMENT NEAR HOSPITAL Dr J. A. Pottinger said he agreed that provision should be made for advanced cases, but it was essential that they should be treated near the hospital. Kew had now outlived the reputation it had when it was also used as a fever hospital. There were at present cases being nursed at the hospital which should not be in the wards. It. would be much safer for nurses and patients alike if the , treatment was done under sanatorium conditions. All over New Zealand there was a “hue and cry” about the incidence of tuberculosis among nurses. It would be much healthier for both nurses and patients if sufferers from tuberculosis were treated under the open-air conditions of a sanatorium, but it should be near the hospital. “I agree that the tuberculosis cases would be better out of the wards,” said Mr Norman, “but I maintain that advanced cases should be sent somewhere in the high country with the knowledge that they have a fighting chance of recovery.” Mr John Miller said a place was required near the main hospital. The chairman (Mr T. Golden): We will have to do something this summer. Mr W. Grieve: It is our duty to do it. It was decided, on the motion of Mr Miller, that steps be taken to have the tuberculosis pavilion at Kew renovated. It was also decided that Mr E. R. Wilson be engaged as architect to prepare plans for the proposed renovations. TREATING ADVANCED CASES Reasons why advanced cases should be treated in a sanatorium close to the main hospital were given by the medical superintendent of the Waipiata Sanatorium (Dr A. Kidd) in a letter to the board. The number of Southland patients requiring treatment at any given time would be approximately 70, he stated. Of this number about 62 ’cases would be capable of improvement and about eight would not be capable of improvement. Cases for which accommodation reasonably near a base hospital was necessary were set out as follows by Dr Kidd:—

(1) Cases which are discovered to be tuberculosis in the hospital wards—the diagnosis having been made there. (2) Acute cases and cases requiring urgent treatment for serious complications, such as haemoptosis, pleurisy and so on.

(3) Terminal cases. (4) Other cases admitted for operation for some other disease. “If tuberculosis accommodation is not reasonably near, these cases may have to remain in the wards where they are a greater danger to the nurses than in a properly constructed shelter,” Dr Kidd continued. “It is recognized that the percentage of nurses acquiring tuberculosis is greater in a general hospital than in a sanatorium. It is, in my opinion, necessary for you to have accommodation to deal with from eight to 16 cases. This should be reasonably near the base hospital.

“I hope and believe that the peak number of tuberculous patients has been reached in Southland and expect to see a gradual falling off in the incidence.”