BEGG HOSPITAL REFORM

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1932, Page 9

BEGG HOSPITAL REFORM

FEWER DISTRICTS FAVOURED ASSOCIATION DISCUSSES SCHEME. COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE IT. WELLINGTON TACTIOS CRITOISED. ——di By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Dr. R. Campbell Begg at the meetin<r of the Hospital Boards’ Association to°day, moved a series of resolutions for hospital reform recently adopted by the Wellington Hospital Board. After discussion a committee was appointed to go into the proposals and report tomorrow. The proposals are far-reaching, involving a reduction of the hospital districts °from '45 to 18, .each district to contain within its bounds, an adequate base hospital. It is proposed that there should be within the Health Department a board of hospitals with wide powers, and in addition to this subdivision that there be four metropolitan hospital districts with hospitals in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The purpose of the metropolitan hospitals is to provide the service which is not available at the. base hospitals in connection with special investigation or treatment such as treatment by radium. The conference offered a golden opportunity, Dr. Begg said, for. further service by hospital members in ' the <*reat work they had taken up. The object of all should be ,to put the hospital system on such, a basis that by. a natural process of development it would adequately meet the needs and be within the compass of the pocket of the people of the country for all time. The ultimate goal must be decentralisation of administration, decentralisation of control and decentralisation of finance.

Seconding the proposals, Mr. F. Castle, chairman of the Wellington Board, said he hoped the conference would agree to a reduction in the number of hospital districts, if only on the ground of economy. A committee would have to study the details. Mr. S. Vickers, Taranaki Board, regarded the proposals as destructive and revolutionary. If backblock hospitals were closed a grave hardship would be imposed on a large number of people. He moved an amendment recommending that the executive in conjunction with the Director-General of Health (Dr. M. H. Watt) explore the possibility of grouping hospital districts for the purpose of simplifying conditions. Mr. J. K. Hornblow, Palmerston North, seconded the amendment. He thanked Dr. Begg for making the proposals. Mr. Hornblow, however, objected strongly to the “stand and deliver” attitude of the Wellington Board, which attempted to stampede the Government into passing legislation. He agreed it was desirable to reduce the number of hospital districts, but there was a right way to go about it. Dr. Gunson, Auckland, contended no hospital should close unless adequate arrangements were made for the patients. Mr. H. J. Otley, North Canterbury, considered the present system best, although amalgamation in some districts was desirable.

The Rev. M. Wood, Auckland, moved an amendment expressing the view that machinery reducing the number of hospital districts should be provided and that a committee be set up to consider the best way of giving effect to this. Mr. Wood’s amendment was carried and the committee was set up. to report to-morrow.