HOSPITAL RETRENCHMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3587, 30 March 1886, Page 3

HOSPITAL RETRENCHMENT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMAKU HERALD. Sir. — " Retrenchment " is a littlo choleric ; there is no occasion for him feeling annoyed at ni} r suggestion thnt lie should apply for information from thoso who are be3t qualified by personal experience as patients to give him an idea of what is the principal reason of tho popularity and efficiency of tho Timaru Hospital, namely, tho preaenco there of a highly competent und attentive Resident Surgeon. Your correspondent speaks, man injured tone, of tho amount of common sense ho has brought to boar on the subject under consideration, as it I had thrown any doubt on tho fact of his being possessed of tho usual quantum of that very useful commodity. So far from this beiiig so, I think he scarcely docs himself justice m laying claim to mere common eenso. Nothing short of genius can have led him to the brilliant discovery that patients are moro comfortable, and a hospital moro efficient, where there i 9 no resident surgeon. " Retrenchment " may feel quite certain that this is so, but he ought not to feel annoyed that others cannot accept this novel idea without discussion. To entrust the sole charge of tho medical and surgical work of tho Hospital to tho cave of a visiting medical staff would mean that tho patients would receivo such time and attention as these visiting practitioners could Bpare from their own privuto practice, and no moro. It is not m tho nature of medical men moro than any other class to neglect their own interests m order to give themselves up to deeds of benevolence. The Hospital would naturally be always a secondary consideration with them, and efficiency, which your correspondent sayg must be kept up whatever the expense, would suffer m consequence. In speaking of the caso o£ Mr Lewis, while merely admitting tho presence of n competent medical officer, he lays most stross on the comforts and conveniences of the institution, and the attendance of nurses. May I remind him that skilled nurses aro not easily got here, and that it falls to the lot of the Resident Surgeon to train and educato inexperienced ones m their duty ? Could this be done as efficiently by a medical staff whose presence m the place would probably average holf-an-hour per day, as by the constant supervision and directions of a medical officer on the premisea? He also says that had there been no resident medical man Mr Lewis would have received the careful treatment of the whole staff. Ido not think bo. I think theae visiting officers usually divide the work amongst them so that each has his own patients. In any case, a patient will usually prefer being attended to by ono man to being experimented on by half-a-dozen, aB ho will co doubt think he will thus have the best ohanoe of recovering. I quite agree with your correspondent that it would be advisable for the Board, if they have not already done

so, to look into the records of tho institution and ascertain tho percentage of successes and failures m tho operations performed there for tho past few years. From what T know of the matter I think they would bo highly satisfied with the result of their investigation, and with the system which bus brought it about. As to calling for evidence from the medical men of tho town, or giving heed lo their advice, we all know what that means. These gentlemen have before now attempted to establish a footing m the Hospital It is quito natural that they should try to do so, and of couwo they would udviso that to be done which they have aimed at nil along. But whether it would bo wise to adopt the course they would undoubtedly recommend is quite another question. The hitler part of "Retrenchment's " letter is not very clear to me. I do not know that under tho present management tho doors of tho Hospital aro shut against anyone who chooses to go there and comply with the rules. If patients of their own will put up with inconveniences and discomforts m boarding-houses, etc., as stated by him, m preference to going to the Hospital, they are very badly advised. The institution, ono of tho most admirably and economically conducted iv tho colony, opens its doors to rich aud poor alike. From what I know of tho personnel of the Board I do not think it likely tho present efficiency will be marred by any interference on their part with a system which his worked so admirably for so many yearß. I am, etc , A Convalescent. Timaru, 2?lh March, 188b'.