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Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16613, 10 December 1919, Page 2

Die claims of the Opunake district to havo a resident nurse and a small cottage hospital for the treatment of sudden cases of illness or injury are undoubtedly strong, but the desire to have a fully-equipped hospital established there arises largely from ignorance of tlie conditions under which hospitals can be efficiently and economically carried on. It is worthy of note that on this coast there is no hospital between Wellington and Palmerston —a distance of nearly 100 miles—and coming north there are hospitals at Wanganui, Psiea, Hawera, Stratford and New Plymouth. Tlie hospitals between Wanganui and New Plymouth aro all small, and theii existence is chiefly duo to the lack of communication in the early days. On the oilier coast, there is a'small hospital at Groytown and one at Alasterton. A small hospital is very expensive to rim, and, what is far more important, is very much less efficient than a big one, which can provide a resident surgeon and a considerable staff of consulting doctors and surgeons. Further, nurses cannot acquire the same training in a small hospital as in a big one, and thus avoid them as far as possible. A big town of half a. million inhabitants in England has as a rule only one general hospital, because it is realised that the bigger tlie hospital the bettor the medical and_ surgical staff that can he obtained. Numerous small hospitals are therefore a disadvantage to the patients, whoso interests are tho chief considcra’l tion. In these days of motors and good roads there is lsss excuse than ever before for small hospitals, and the people of Opunako and district will be wise to realise this and to concentrate their efforts towards securing a resident nurse and an up-to-date ambulance, which would bring patients to New Plymouth in less than two hours to find mediejj attention, summoned by telephone, immediately available.