The Daily News MONDAY, MARCH, 4, 1935. HOSPITAL INTERESTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1935, Page 4

The Daily News

MONDAY, MARCH, 4, 1935. HOSPITAL INTERESTS.

' OFFICES! NEW PLYMOUTH. Corrie Street. STRATFORD. Broadway. HAWERA. High Street.

The conference of hospital boards that will meet at Napier to-morrow is an important gathering. Its chief consideration will be to make as perfect as possible the administration of the Dominion’s hospital systemPerusal of the agenda paper and remits for consideration shows that the conference will have before it matters of much importance to the system and to the health and well-being of the community. Experts in the care of public health, the campaign against cancer, and the treatment of mental diseases are to address the conference, and no doubt will show in what manner the control and equipment. of hospitals can aid the medical profession to prevent, cure or relieve those suffering from disease or accident. Though there are weaknesses in the Dominion’s hospital system it can be said to be, on the whole, working satisfactorily. Members of hospital boards are all volunteers, and if the public was fully aware of the time and energy expended by them upon hospital administration there would be greater appreciation of the good work they are performing. • Ratepayers generally have accepted the financial responsibilities involved and the relations between the boards and the Ministry of Health are usually quite satisfactory. The necessity for careful scrutiny of finance, the need for special equipment for the treatment of disease and its high cost, and the urgency of specialisation in regard to particular disorders all tend towards centralisation of main hospital work, leaving only emergency and possibly maternity cases to the smaller hospitals. That is a matter upon which much could be said on both sides. So long as the chief function of hospitals is not overlooked in administrative zeal no doubt any desirable alterations to existing arrangements can be brought about. It is essentially a matter for such a conference as the one that meets to-morrow, for all will agree that the outstanding function of hospitals is to assist sick people towards recovery with the least possible delay. Psychology is a recognised influence in the curative process and must be reckoned within hospital administration,' especially when centralisation is under consideration. The effect of strange environment and loneliness upon patients must be taken into calculation as well as the diminution in local interest in the support of district hospitals. The Dominion is well served by the medical and nursing professions in its public hospitals. Indeed, one of the questions that might well be dis? cussed at the conference is not only uniform rates of pay for nurses, but uniform hours . of work and conditions of service. These are said to vary considerably, in some hospitals much more being expected of the staff than in others, while in some instances sheer exigency of work often prevents the conditions laid down by the controlling authority being given effect to so far as the nursing staff is concerned. Another matter of importance is that of national health insurance. Inquiries have shown the benefits of such a system in other countries, and that if it is to be successful in New Zealand It will require to be universal and compulsory with direct deductions from earnings as in the case of the unemployment taxation. With the principle everyone will agree. The work of the friendly societies in the Dominion and elsewhere provides the finest evidence of the wisdom of making financial preparation by small instalments for medical and hospital attention when required, and hospital boards know how much easier it is to obtain payment from well run* organisations than from individuals who may be feeling the strain of illness in many directions.'; The difficulty is to evolve a workable and practicable insur-

I ance scheme, and if this week s deliberations can aid materially in doing so they will have been thoroughly justified. It is by no means an easy matter to arrange. The interests of the public, of the medical and nursing professions, of the friendly

societies and of hospital authorities have all to be considered. Fortunately consideration will be from one viewpoint only, namely, that of giving the best possible service at a minimum cost. A discussion to >that end can do nothing but good.