HOSPITAL ATTACKED.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1924, Page 7

HOSPITAL ATTACKED.

DEATH OF A CHILD, BARENTS’ ALLEGATIONS. URGENT INQUIRY ORDERED. THE RAETIHI INSTITUTION. Serious allegations wore made at the monthly meeting of the Wanganui Hospital Board in connection with the Raetihi Hospital,, and as a result an inquiry is to be held. The following letter was read:—

“1 would like to ask a few questions concerning my child, Eileen Staines, who was taken to Raetihi Hospital on October 29 and died on November 18. We took the child to Dr. Cook and he ordered her to the hospital. The child arrived about three o’clock and wa*operated on the same day for appendicitis. The child was doing well from the Thursday to the Monday. As I could see that my child was in great pain I proposed to the matrbn that a doctor should see her every day. As no doctor had been in attendance sinco the operation, I wished to call Dr. Boyd to hear his opinion of the child’s condition. The matron strongly objected, and said if we called in Dr. Boyd we would hav'e to take the child from the hospital. Dr. Cook did not seem to like the idea of Dr. Boyd seeing the child. However. Dr. Boyd saw the child and said that her condition was satisfactory. There was a second operation. After a third operation Dr. Cook wished to see me. I went to Ohakune and he arranged with Dr. Feltham to eee the child every day. He asked me if I would agree to it, and T said that I would; Dr. Cook told us •after the third operation that the child was all right and in no danger, and if anything serious happened he would be out to the hospital, himself. He was r.qng up for the fpujrth operation and, as he could not go out, it was done by Dr. Feltham. The matron knew that Dr. Cook would have liked it arranged for a doctor to see the child every day, and I think it was the matron's plave to have told me, or seen that there was a doctor to see the child every day, seeing that she was in charge of the hospital —John Staines, Pokako.” DIET AFTER OPERATION. * A letter from Mrs. Staines said:— “These are a few of the facts. When my child was ill the matron even allowed me to sleep* in the same ward as the. child. As soon as we a-kel for Dr. Boyd she almost turned me from the hospital anil told me the •■.iil I would get on better without me. She would not allow - me to see the child, which craved for me, until Mr. Staines hal to persuade the matron to let me sit with her, and Dr. Cook rang me and told me I was only to see the child for five minutes. The matron said that the child was getting .better and that it must go one way or other with her before Friday, as she was going on her holidays. The child died. After the third operation she was given lettuce salad, potatoes, meat and sweets (all on one /plate), jelly, cream, blancmange and’ stowed # pears. She wat told that she had to eat it all and leave none. She cried and told me of it, but the poor little mite is not here to stick up for herself. I would like justice done to my dead child.'’ BOARD SERIOUSLY CONCERNED. Mr. A. H. Rogers said it was a serious allegation that the child had not been looked at for several days. He did not know - anything about diet, but he would not have liked to have taken it himself after an operation. Mr. T. H. Battle suggested that the matter should be referred to the medical superintendent, and then be referred back to the executive to see what form an inquiry should take. Mr. Rogers said that a searching inquiry should be made. They owed that to the public. If there was anything wrong it should be remedied. No member of the board would like his child treated as it was alleged this child had been.

Mr. Ritchie said that the Raetihi Hospital was costing £l5OO a year, and for one patient they had twro doctors, a matron, two nurses, a probationer, 4 housemaid and a cook.

Mr. Rogers: Didn’t we decide that no surgical cases should be sent in? Dr. Skerman: Only urgent cases. -Mi*. Rogers: Isn't there any diet set down ?

The chairman. Mr. E. E. Fletcher, moved that an inquiry be held. Mr. Ritchie: And go up if necessary. The chairman: The Waimarino County Council has already spoken about the necessity of affairs at the Raetihi Hospital being looked Mr. Rogers: This inquiry wantsfolding at once.

Ah*. Battle urged that an urgent Inquiry be held and that the chairman and secretary arrange the date. This was unanimously agreed to.