The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, NOV. 17, 1910. TIMARU HOSPITAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIII, Issue 14351, 17 November 1910, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, NOV. 17, 1910. TIMARU HOSPITAL.

The Inspector-General of Hospitals (Dr Yaliivtine) is an indefatigable officer who has, \ve believe, a real zeal for economy and efficiency, but if he would restrain a talent for strong' statement, and soften the effect of Ms harsh criticisms by a more generous meed of praise where praise is due, he would do to promote his objects. In criticising- the Inspector-General's annual report at their meeting on Tuesday, the members of the So\ith Canterbury Board had faults to find alike with Dr Valintine's sweeping statements in regard to hospitals in general, and with what he did not say in reference to the efficient administration of the Timaru Hospital. Dr Yalintine stated that the Palmerston and Southland Hospitals were very efficiently and economically conducted. He gave no credit to the management of the Timaru Hospital, though the cost_ of maintenance and administration per hospital bed is less for this institution than for either of the others, and it is admitted by Dr Yalintine that the Timaru patients have not suffered from the economy. A considerable saving has been made recently in the cost of rations for the Timaru Hospital, and Dr Yalintine, who in previous years has criticised the financial administration in strong terms, might have referred to this with satisfaction, instead of finding fault with the amount of patients' fees collected, although, ■that amount is larger than has been brought in in any previous year. It was pointed out by the chairman of the Board (Mr Gilling'ham) that a very large proportion of the patients at the Timaru Hospital are old age pensioners, charitable aid recipients, inmates of the benevolent institution, and other destitute persons. The hospital caters -principally for the poorer patients, and we think there is no doubt that this is the proper policy to adopt. It KiU be nrfl-ued that

the well-to-do who pay rates for the maintenance of hospitals have a claim to the skilled treatment which these institutions afford, but it appears to us only right that those who have no other recourse in sickness should be first considered, and that, jf the well-to-do are admitted, they should bo charged a fee which would leave no surplus of the cost of treatment to be made up from the rates. At the Timaru Hospital no private patients at an increased fee are received. It appears to us that members of the Board were fully justified in condemning, in the strongest terms, some of the general charges made by Dr Yalintir.o against hospitals which he did not name. It is true that general charges must be made sometimes; we do not see how the Inspector-General could have stated in his public report which hospitals paid too much for supplies "for fear of offending the local ehemis.t" But when general charges are made there must always be a risk that well conducted institutions will be confounded with the guilty, and this danger the Inspector - General does not seem to have done much to minimise. Some of the innuendoes which he makes, moreover, are altogether reprehensible. Some Boards, he states, ore very slack in collecting patients' fees, " and some officials are worse than slack." In the management _of some old men's homes there is unnecessary waste "if not something worse " in the management. One secretary had " a deal to explain," and another " a good deal to explain," in not collecting more fees from patients. What does Dr Valintine intend to infer by these mysterious and disturbing phrases? "We suspect he really means no more than that certain institutions have been very wasteful and _ certain secretaries, in his opinion, very negligent as collectors, but in his desire to be dramatic and command attention, he has given good cause, it seems to tis, for the vigorous, resentment that was expressed against these charges by the South Canterbury Board. _ Dr Valintine should explain his meaning.