“CARELESS TREATMENT”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 978, 22 May 1930, Page 15

“CARELESS TREATMENT”

AUCKLAND HOSPITAL TAKEN TO TASK COMPLAINT FROM PUXEKOHE The treatment meted out to a 16-year-old boy, who was conveyed to the Auckland Hospital on Saturday evening suffering from severed tendons of the right foot and was refused admission, has given rise to much comment in Pukekohe. The boy, Frank Lubbick, who is employed by Mr. J. J. Blake, farmer, Pukekohe, was chopping firewood m Saturday afternoon, when he had the misfortunte to cut his foot. Dr. A. T. Begg was summoned and after giving the sufferer attention, he ordered that the boy be removed to the hospital. Although suffering. from the loss of a quantity of blood, the lad, whose condition was weak, was conveyed by motor-car to the Auckland Hospital. Upon arrival he was operated on and after regaining consciousness he was directed to be removed from the institution on the grounds that a bed was not available. Still suffering from the effects of the anaesthetic administered at the hospital, the boy was brought back to Pukekohe by private car which arrived at the early hour of 12.45 on Sunday morning. He wge then admitted to a local private hospital. The question has been asked whether a “shakedown” could not have been provided, or whether he could not have been accommodated in one of the wards set aside for boys, men or even children. Great indignation is being felt at the treatment accorded a boy of tender years.

INQUIRY AT HOSPITAL . BRINGING OFFENDER TO BOOK When the complaint was referred to Mr. W. Wallace, chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, he said that the incident did occur. “The medical* superintendent is investigating the position at present and the person responsible for it will be brought to book,” he said. “Up to the present we have not been able to discover whose fault it is.” What had occurred was not in keeping with the policy of the Hospital Board. It was always the aim to giye preference to country patients at the hospital on account of the difficulty of transporting them to and from their homes.