ALCOHOLIC CASES

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22253, 22 April 1942, Page 4

ALCOHOLIC CASES

Difficulties Of Hospital Staff Doctor’s Complaint Supported The trouble the hospital staff is often put to in handling alcoholic cases, and also the expense involved, was discussed by the South Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday following receipt of a letter from Dr. W. E. Gibson, of Timaru.

Dr. Gibson wrote: “Regarding alcoholics as they affect Timaru Hospital and other hospitals as the law now stands: As far as I can go back it has always been recognised that recent over-indulgence in alcohol cancelled the terms of a contract to provide that man with relief which he would be entitled to if overcome by Illness or accident. In the contract of agreement between the doctors and lodges, which has existed since before I came to Timaru —probably 50 years or more, the wording is: ‘The term attend professionally hereinbefore mentioned shall not Include cases the result of (a) quarrelling, (b) fighting, (c) inebriety, (d) direct results of recent alcoholic indulgence, (e) venereal disease.’ In the Social Security Act panel system—the 15/- a year system—the words ‘recent Indulgence in alcohol’ are used, but I have not the documents before me, so cannot quote verbatim. Suffice to say that those who have secured a panel doctor for 15/- a year have to pay if he attends them for alcoholism, nor is there any compulsion on him to attend them. “In the various accident insurance policies, and in car comprehensive and .bird party risk policies, the same exception is made—if the man driving the car was drunk, the Insurance lapses. Yet under the present Social Security Act and the agreement that the various hospital boards have, with the Government, to receive 6/- a day subsidy, and provide free board, lodging and medical care for every taxpayer. it is open to anyone to get drunk for a day or a week and then, filthy and maniacal, to take a taxi and demand admission to hospital, there to be cleaned, nursed back to health and sanity, and then (when he is fit to face his wife) sent home.

“Fighting Drunk” “On Friday evening (Good Friday) an employee of the Pukeuri freezing works was fighting drunk in the town. On his previous attack four weeks ago he was rough handled by the Oamaru police and spent the night in the lockup His companions in Timaru, less drunk than he was, wishing to avoid a recurrence of the lock-up Incident, got an order from a local doctor and arrived at the hospital. After a strenuous ‘free-for-all’ between the man, two companions, two porters, the hospital engineer and a house surgeon, I was rung up by the latter for permission to give rather heroic doses of sedative as the patient, who had already torn an employee’s clothing, looked likely to wreck the furniture. “Later, about 10 p.m., I went to the hospital to see for myself. I found two more alcoholics had been admitted. One had fallen out of a trap, so he had to be there, but the other was a case of delirium tremens who had arrived just then, and was sitting by the office. He has been in under similar circumstances several times before—drinking for a week or two, he was too ill to be refused admission. While in he is a nasty person to deal with, and a great source of worry to the staff. I gave orders that he was not to be washed by nurses. He was dumped in the bath and scrubbed by the porters, but he is now, and he will be for some days a foul object for refined nurses to handle. Moreover, In his present condition, he is a treacherous and very

powerful man. It is unfair to the nursing staff, and these people are a pest to the hospital—they monopolised valuable by-wards, and they cause work and endless anxiety to the medical staff.” Mr H. J. Clark said that there was a lot in the letter. Probably the Board could do nothing, but it was a shame that such a thing should be allowed to go on. It was not right that the nurses should have to handle such men. Something might be done through the Hospital Boards’ Association. Representations should be made in an endeavour to have the Social Security Act amended to make such men pay for the attention they receive. They knew they did not have to pay, and they went In to receive free treatment and to recover, and they were a nuisance. The position had been going on for a long time, and he had heard one man say: “It’s apples. I’ll be in hospital soon with D.T.’s.” So far as the lodges were concerned, such men had to pay for their own treatment. The chairman (Mr E. Macdonald): Could we refer these men to the police? Going on For Years Dr. J. C. McKenzie, superintendent of the hospital, said that there was nothing new in the matter, as it had been going on for years. The type of cases referred to were a terrific curse, and there had been many rough houses with them at the hospital. More than once he had received a crack from a man. “We hr«’e even had to chase them at night to stop them from going into the sea.” Mr J. C. Hay: You shouldn’t have stopped them. Dr. McKenzie: That is all very well, but there would be an inquiry. We could wish them well. Dr McKenzie went on to say that when such men came to the hospital they were usually accompanied by their mates. The men were looked over by the medical staff, and if they were ill the men were taken in, but if they were Just drunk they were not admitted. If the men were ill, he did not see that they could be refused admission. If a man was ill, even as the result of drink, he must be admitted. Even if the board gave instructions that alcoholics were not to be admitted, he did not think the order would hold. There had been cases where men were drunk, but they had had a knock oh the head, and then they had had to be admitted. They had to recognise that if a man was ill and needed attention then he must be admitted. When they thought that a man was not fit to be handled by the nurses, then he was handed over to the Sorters, and sometimes they had even ad to secure outside assistance On one occasion they had had relays of men to look after an active drunk. A member: What about the padded cell? Dr. McKenzie: That is not entirely satisfactory. We have not used our cell for 15 years. If you shut a than up in the cell, you cannot leave him entirely alone. You have to have a male attendant to look after him. If there is sufficient Justification, we call the police in. Dr. McKenzie agreed with Dr. Gibson’s contention that the institution and the public should not have to bear the cost. It was not a fair thing. Mr C. E. Kerr: They must be a disturbing element to the patients. Dr. McKenzie: One such man can upset the hospital for the night. In the new building we will have a small place where noisy and obstreperous cases can be handled. The chairman: Dr. Gibson’s sedative was a good thing. Lap it Up Dr. McKenzie: We give them all a knock of something, but they lap it up. Mr Hay said there was a growing tendency for such men to go to the ' hospital, and he thought they should make representations to the Associa- ■ tion to have the Act amended. The i position was intolerable. i The secretary (Mr H. G. Naylor) i suggested that the Department also be [ written to. ■ Major G. T. Hennessy said that if the medical staff saw that a man was drunk, they should call in the police. It was not the function of the staff to sober up drunks. Mr Hay: The commonsense thing tc do would be to do away with the cause of the trouble. It was agreed to make representations to the Hospital Boards' Associa- ' tion and the Department with a view ; to having the Social Security Act i amended so that alcoholics would be [ made to bear the financial responsl- ( billty for all treatment and damage. 19,000 GERM COLONIES ; Yes, actually photographed in i I sneeze! Spread into the air to.spreac disease. Don’t you be responsible foi ’ this! Suck Pulmonas often to preveni ' colds. ?ulmonas disinfect the wholi 1 respiratory system . . . kill germs, re- ■ lieve sore throat and inflammation. Ir / handy tins, 1/1, 1/7, 2/7, all chemist: and stores- Pulmonas!