CASUALTY DELAYS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 662, 14 May 1929, Page 11

CASUALTY DELAYS

kept waiting at HOSPITAL FURTHER COMPLAINTS An article which appeared in The Sun yesterday revealing that accident cases had been, compelled to wait some hours for attention at the Auckland Hospital on Saturday, has produced several letters from correspondents. When interviewed today the medical superintendent, Dr. Maguire, declined to comment upon the article published yesterday. The letters are as follow: Sir,— I read with very much interest your article on the delay in the casualty ward at the hospital in last evening’s issue of The Sun. May I add my own case to the complaints you have already received. Last Saturday week (May 4), while playing in a match at the Domain, 1 had the misfortune to break ray lower jaw in two places. I was taken to the hospital by an ambulance attendant. This was about 4.15 p.m. Several young men whom I took to be students came into the casualty room and looked at my jaw until one, who seemed to be more in authority, told me that I would have to get it X-rayed. The time then would be about 5.20 p.m. I went across to the X-ray room, accompanied by an attendant. In my case I can truthfully say there was no time lost in the X-ray room. I had three photos taken and I was back in the casualty room within 10 minutes, where I sat shivering «mtil the nurse in charge kindly lent me a blanket. I was still in my football gear and my mouth was bleeding profusely. About 5.35 p.m., the X-ray plate was brought across and I was admitted to the hospital at 5.4 U pm. FOOTBALLER. Sir.— The exposure by The Sun of laxity in the treatment of accident cases lias b?en long overdue. It is only surprising that people have waited so long without complaining. The conditions were the same some years ago, and J can only wonder if they have continued up to the present. Some years ago I was taken to the hospital as an accident case with a severe gash which had cut through arteries and sinews. A chemist had stopped the bleeding temporarily to enable me to reach the hospital, but despite the severe wound, and weakness following the loss of blood, I was kept waiting about three hours before a doctor arrived* That occurred on a Saturday afternoon. A new' hospital board has been elected, and the question of prompt attention to accident cases should be one of the first items on the asenda paper. r.D.Q. SirIn connection with your exposure of the dilatory manner in which injured footballers are treated at the hospital casualty ward, I should like to recount an experience of mine some years ago at Wanganui. I was injured in a match there at about 2.15 pm., on a Saturday afternoon, and taken to hospital immediately. The deputy-matron refused even temporary treatment, there being no doctors available, and therefore I was sent jolting about the town searching for a doctor. It was six o’clock before the injured arm was set, and I was then returned to the hospital and given accommodation, although I had been turned away earlier on the score of there being no room in the wards. From this and other experiences within my acquaintance, I know that injured footballers or hockey players are often treated in the most perfunctory manner. Of course, a doctor is entitled to his half day off as much as anyone else, but it should be possible to have an adequate staff on hand to deal with these often painful injuries from the sports fields. BACK ROW,