TRANSPORT OF THE SICK

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14328, 19 October 1910, Page 2

TRANSPORT OF THE SICK

THE AMBULANCE WAGGON. AXD WHAT BEFELL IT. Dr. Gabites at yesterday's meeting of iho Hospital Hoard made a rather startling disclosure in connection with the, Board's ambulance waggon. lie said that recently he had a case in the country of an old man who required to be brought into town to undergo an operation. The patient required very careful handling, and he had asked ihe Secretary to the Board, in sending < ut. the ambulance waggon, to ask the driver to wait for two members of St. John Ambulance, who would accompany him and take care of the patient coming in. Instead of waiting as instructed, the driver cleared out without them, aud in returning to town he met with an accident, the front w;is kicked out ot the vehicle, and the old gentleman, who was seriously ill. had to be taken liiit, and brought into town in a cart. It was a cold night, and through the expn-ure he contracted pneumonia from which he subsequently died. lie i the speaker) could not say positively that had the two members of the Ambulance Brigade been there the accident could have been averted, tut they e,>u!d at all events have seen that the patient was properly cared for, and the driver would have been relieved "f a considerable amount of responsibility. Or. Gabites ai-n referred to a statement made at i-hn previous meeting of the Hoard by Mr Lynll, who had said that some patient* from St. Andrews had developed scarlet. fever in the Hospital after having been brought in. !in the ambulance waggon. It was a matter for surprise lo him that more people who were conveyed to the Hospital in ambulance waggon Hid not suffer as a result. H was decided I v unwise to convey serious .surgical cases | and scarlet fever cases in the same vehicle. He knew that the waggon was suppo-ed io he thoroughly disinfected after each trip, but he had his doubts whether it was done properly. He had i.i'ten wondered that more, ease- of scarlet fever had not arisen in. the Hospital. He understood further, that the waggon was not in a fit sttate to go a long journey over rough roado into the rountrv.

The Chairman: "That is so/" Continuing, I)r Gabites said that a second waggon should be obtained, and the present ~ne kept exclusively for fever cases, li the Board would provide another waggon the Ambulance Brigade in Timaru would undertake the transput t of cases with it on behalf of the Hoard, charging nothing to those wiio could not afford to pay, and charging according to the scale drawn up by the Board those who were in a posittion to pay. The members of the Brigade were very enthusiastic in the transport work, they worn skilled in it, and he would undertake to say that it would be done well. If the Board agreed to this it would jelieve them of- a certain amount of work, and a decided improvement on. present methods would be effected. There were often' serious cases ia the country which required careful handling, and if left to the Brigade proper care in transport would be assured. At the present time, with the waggon in charge of a driver sent by the Board, members of the Brigade who accompanied him sometimes had difliciiltv in getting the driver to drive sufficiently •low.

The Chairman said the ambulance waggon at tlsL- nresent time, in tha; scmc-fiues called inrVj requisition iihen an ..rdinary express would (1,, lust as we!!. Mr Maslin endorsed this.

Mr Butler approved of the suggestion made by Dr. Gabies. He often feit dissatisfied with the way the ambuianee waggon w.l-7 us»d through there being no one to assist the driver. He proposed that a Committee be f-et up to consider details. u:;d re.wrt *o next meeting of the R-a.-d.

Ine mction w.-, s carried, the Committee appoint.-d consisting of the chairman. Messrs Lval! and Butler, and Dr. Gabites.