CONTROL OF HOSPITALS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1925, Page 8

CONTROL OF HOSPITALS.

BEST SYSTEM SOUGHT. DOCTORS’ VIEWS RESPECTED, ATTITUDE OF HOSPITAL BOARD. “The office of chairman of a hospital board is not f bed of roses,” said Mr. M. Fraser, on being re-elected to that position by the Taranaki Hospital Board yesterday. In returning thanks for his re-elec-tion, Air. Fraser said it was a compliment not only to himself but to the work of the board under his chairmanship during th© past eight years. The position of chairman was a very trying one, and one he felt scarcely able to carry as it should be done. He was pleased that the new members of the board were men eminently suited for the position and men in whom the public had shown its confidence. Mr. Fraser impressed on these new members that in the work of hospitals disturbing elements had taken place that had marred the harmony on many hospital boards. The time was coming, Mr. Fraser said, when the pressure from that Quarter would be Increased, and the ola hospital system was in danger. Under this old system no one questioned who should enter the hospital, and hospital boards were friendly associations of the people to run the hospital for the people. Tn England a system of voluntary contributions prevailed, added Mr. Fraser, and only the very poorest people entered the public hospitals. In some of the large hospitals of New Zealand something similar seemed to be occurring. But the advance of medical science and the improvements at public hospitals had been such that private hospitals could not compete with, public hospitals. Medical men saw dangers ahead, and the speaker quite sympathised with them. The medical men saw that if th© old hospital system were retained, the work of doctors would suffer considerably, as all sick persons would go to the public hospitals. The question as to whether the old system should be retained or a new system Introduced would , arise very shortly. Mr. Fraser made it clear that he bad nothing to say against the medical faculty. They had the right to make suggestions. The board would not act as a stumbling block, but would hear tLe doctors’ views first and then aider what was the best that could be done in the interest of the hospital and the people.