CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4949, 12 May 1894, Page 6

CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL.

The following letters appeared in this morning's Lyttelton Times:— TO THB EDITOB. Sib,— Mr J. C. Sopp has a perfect right to criticise the working and management of the Christchurch Hospital if ho feels that things are not beins carried out with a proper regard to a combination of afficiency and economy. As a ratepayer, he ia naturally interested in seeing that the ratepayers' money is properly ez-' ponded, and that no wasteful extravagance is permitted. But there is.oue consideration that is absolutely essential in criticising the management of au institution like the Christchurch Hospital, and that is tbat the critic should be correct in his facta. Mr Sopp'a " facts " are not facts, but misstatements. . For instance, ho asserts that the number of nurses ia 30, aud the number of probationers lo— a nursing staff of 45 for an average daily number of 95 to 100 patient.! The. correct strength, of the nufßing staff is aa follows: — Head nurses 4, senior- probationers 7, probationers 9, total 20. Of course in addition' to this number there is the usual staff •forca.rying out tbe multifarious' duties incidehtal to the. working of a large hospital. There is the house surgeon, the matrou, the dispenser, tbe secretary and his a-si-tact. there is a chief wardsman and two assist-, ant wardsmen, a cook and two assistant cooks,- an .engineer, a gardener, a watchman, a gatekeeper, a mftttress-raake-, four scrubbers (oagaged during the morning only), three housemaids, four laundresses, and five elderly men employed in the garden and about the grounds. This may appear a formidable list; but a large number on the liet aro in receipt of . very infinitesimal wages, and consequently do not coat the. institution very much. Then again, it mu9t bo home iv mind that the Christchurch Hospital admits and treats mora patients in a year than any other hospital in the colony. The total last year amounted to I?_s inpatients. And now wha. does all this I*-T ( ge staff cost? - The . following table, compiled from papers laid beforo * the . House of Eepresentatives, gives tbe daily cost par patient in tho four principal, hospitals in Nov/ Zealand for the years 1890, 1891 at,(---1.92. (The returns for 1893 are not; yet available) :■—..--. 7 . 1890— _br__t.hu.ch3rsJ_. Wellington 3d 6sd,- Auckland 3s 9>i, Diinedm 3? lOi. 1891— Ch'.i6tc_vur..- _a S^^eiliostoa 3s 10^:1, 'Dunedin 4a" Bd, Auckland 43 lli}_. • . 1892— fihriatob-orob 3s iof-J, Wellington 33 lOJd, Dunedin- 4s 2sd, Auckland 4- 4ss. Then, it' wa take the foregoing hospitals and clase tbem according to .their efficiency in curing patienta and in saving Uvea, how does our looal hospital etand ? The following table clearly -how_ that we stand at the top of the tree : — Por 1890. Admitted. Died. cent. Chiiatchuich ... 1058 74 0*99 Wellington 881 83 - 9*42 Danedin 834 9S 11*75 Auckland 856 101 11*89 1891. Christchurch ... 10?6 86 7*99 Wellington 983 S4 8*54 Auckland 054 09 10-37 Dunedin 823 12S 14*85 18.2. Christohurch ... 1088. 76 6*98 Wellington ... ... 951 70 7*36 Auckland ... ... . 1052 110 10*45 Dunedin SBS 105 11*73 These figures prove most conclusively, I think, that for efficiency and economy' the Christchurch Hospital is' an institution that the ratepayers have good reason to ba proud of. Apologising for occupying so much of your valuable apace. — I am, &c, C. M. GEAT. Member of the North Canterbury Hospital Board. May 11, 1894.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,— la your ibsus o? May 10 you say that the nursing staff .ehouid be 20, as against 30 aa stated by myself. The details supplied to me by the _uedic_i offiser are as follow :— 1 lady Euperintendent, 4< sisters, 2 paid night nurses, 5 nurses, 15 probationer- (including- six notpaid) and 3 male nurses. The latter are certainly not tbe least important of the nuraingr staff. By kindly 'inserting thia, you will oblige.— l am, &_., JOHN C. SOPP.