TE PUKE HOSPITAL

Te Puke Times, 15 September 1922, Page 3

TE PUKE HOSPITAL

A WARM DISCUSSION.

The following letter, written by Dr D. £>- Wylie, Director of the Division of Hospitals, Wellington, was read at the meeting of the Hospital Board on Monday : “I beg to acknowledge your letter of the 4th inst., enclosing the following resolution: “That the Health Department be asked whether the institution at Te Puke is a maternity hospital or a general hospital ? - In' reply I have to state that the Te Puke hospital should be regarded as primarily a maternity hospital, but with the following additional junctions: (1) To receive acute medical and surgical cases too ill to be transferred to Tauranga,

and then only pending their becoming well enough to be transferred if lengthy treatment be required ; (2) To receive cases of slight illness only necessitating two or three days’ stay in hospital and of too trivial a character to justify removal to Tauranga. It may be further remarked that your district is neither large enough nor wealthy enough to justify the establishment and administration of two hospitals with precisely similar functions—one at Tauranga and the other at Te Puke. For the present Tauranga must be regarded as the main hospital of the district, but it is important to remember that the hospital at Te Puke must be so built as to admit of its easy extension in the future should the growth of the population at Te Puke warrant the transformation of the maternity hospital there into a hospital for general purposes." The letter was received. Dr. J. P. Frengley, Deputy Director-General of Health, wrote under date August 30 regarding the proposed new maternity hospital at Te Puke, as follows “Representations have been made to me this day by Mr Grant, a member of your Board, to the effect that the Tauranga Hospital Board proposes to defer, for the present, the building of the new maternity hospital at Te Puke. The improvement of hospital facilities at Te Puke is a matter which is at the present time one of the most; urgent responsibilities of your Board, and I should be glad if you would advise me as soon as possible concerning the exact state of affairs. For your information I wish to state that in my opinion the provision Jof fresh hospital facilities at Tau rangaand the erection of the new Te Puke maternity hospital should proceed simultaneously, and I should be glad if you would consider very carefully this aspect of the position. Mr Brown asked whether Mr Grant was sent to Wellington at the request of the Board ? The Chairman replied in the negative. V Mr Brown: Then there is nothing to discuss M Mr Murdoch\ moved—That the Department be asked to furnish a copy of the representations ttude by Mr Grant regarding the Te Puke maternity hospital so that the Board may suitably reply and that the matter be not <tocussed till such reply comes lo hand. ■- Mr Hume seconded, v--Mr Grant demanded the right to give an explanation. He said he was not going to be blocked.

The Chairman answered that the letter was a reply to a private interview.

Mr Grant again demanded to be heard.

The Chairman replied to the i effect that the Board had nothing to do with the interview, as they did not send Mr Grant to Wellington. Mr Grant said a meeting had been held in Te Puke and it was in favour of separation. He represented those ratepayers and did not go down from the Board. The Chairman informed Mr Grant that he could not continue spoßkin^* Mr Grant fo the Chairman: Do you stop me ? V The Chairman : I do. Mr Grant: Very well, we are going for separation now and we will get it. You are not fit for your position. The Chairman took exception to the last statement bv Mr Grant and said he would call in the police and have him put out. Mr Lally then moved an amendment—That Mr Clemson be requested to prepare- a plan for the Te Puke maternity hospital, as per plan C sent by the Depart ment, and in accordance with the terms of the letter dated August 30.

Mr Grant seconded. Mr Lally explained that a meeting had been held in Te Puke in regard to hospital matters and Mr Grant and others had been appointed a committee. Mr Brown rose to a point of Order. Mr Grant said he had been appointed by a meeting at Te Puke to go to- Wellington, and was requested to ask for a maternity hospital, with additions as set out in plans ; and failing that to request separation, He gave details of hiß interview with the Hon. C. J. Parr and Dr. Wylie, and said the latter had apparentiy prepared the letter. He (Mr Grant) went down to represent

the ratepayers of Te Puke, who were determined to have a maternity hospital, and additions, or to get separation. Various quotations from letters above quoted were read by Mr Grant and the Chairman The amendment was put and negatived by five votes to three. Mr Lally called for a division, which showed the voting to be: — For the amendment: Messrs tally, Grant, and McNaughton. Against thp amendment: The Chairman, Messrs Brown, Murdoch. Lochhead and Hume. Mr Murdoch’s motion was then put and carried by five votes to three.

Mr Grant called for a division, which disclosed the voting: For the motion: The Chairman, Messrs Brown, Murdoch, Lochhead, and Hume. Against the motion : Messrs Lally, Grant, and McNaughton. Later in the meeting Mr Grant asked that the following be included in the minutes of the meeting—That after the letter dated August 30, 1922, from the Health Department anent Te Puke hospital was read, the Chairman ruled that Mr Grant could not be allowed to speak or explain anything whatever in connection with the letter in question just read. . The request was agreed to.