GREYTOWN HOSPITAL.

Wairarapa Age, 26 August 1933, Page 5

GREYTOWN HOSPITAL.

Board Discusses Minister’s Proposals. MODIFICATIONS SUGGESTED. LIMIT OF TEN BEDS AGREED UPON. SOLWAY HOME TO BE CLOSED DOWN. Important decisions affecting the future status of the Greytown Hospital and the fate of Solway Old Men's Home, were reached at yesterday’s meeting of the Wairarapa Hospital Board. Briefly, it is proposed to make provision for teu beds at Greytown, with full facilities for major surgical treatment, and to close the Solway Home. The inmates of the home are to be transferred to Greytown. Both proposals are, of course, subject to the approval of the Minister of Health. Mr J. F. Thompson, who has championed the cause of the Greytown Hospital for several years, expressed himself as quire satisfied with the proposals. In reply to representations made to him by a deputation at Greytown last -month, the Minister of Health (the Hon. J. A. Young) wrote stating that he was not prepared to approve of Greytown being deprived of all hospital facilities. He would, however, approve of a limitation of hospital beds, and suggested, for the consideration of the board, that 10 beds should be set aside to meet the needs of the district. Under the proposed arrangement, he added, major surgery was not to be undertaken in the Greytown Hospital, except In extreme urgency and under conditions laid down by the Medical Superintendent of the Masterton Hospital. All work done at Greytown would be subject to the general supervision of the Medical Superintendent at MasterHe was agreeable to the closing of Solway Home and concentrating all the old people at Greytown. NOTICES OF'MOTION. Mr. Thompson had given notice that he would move at the meeting, the following motions:— (1) “Themotion ‘that the institution at Greytown function only as an Old People’s Home and that Solway Home be dosed and the inmates be transferred to Greytown,’ carried at the board’s meeting on April 21 last be rescinded. ’’

(2) “That Greytown Hospital be reopened to conform with the full hospital status existing at the time of the Hawke’s Bay earthquake in February. 1931.”

It was agreed to deal with the motions separately and also to make the fate of Solway Home the subject of a separate motion. “You have no option but to rescind the motion,” observed Mr. Thompson, speaking to the first motion, which was seconded by Dr. G . 8. Sharp and carJwied without dissent. A CONVALESCENT HOME? I deferring to the second motion, Mr. Thompson said: “You have before you the recommendations of the Minister of Health on the subject. I would say that those recommendations, if put into effect, would place Greytown Hospital and the needs of the southern Wairarapa in a worse position tfian before.” The adoption of the recommendations, he added, would mean that all major surgical cases would have to be treated m Masterton and, virtually, that would mean turning Greytown Hospital into a convalescent home. The bulk of the treated at Greytown were surgical eases and although only five beds had been available during the past two rJ here had been an average of oyer 25 major surgical cases a year. The question at stake in the Minister’s mind was undoubtedly the centralising ■of major surgical cases for treatment mere was absolutely no suggestion of a 7° n e b«>ng dissatisfied with the work of the Medical Superintendent at Grev- . would aay definitely that the minister s recommendations involved a retrograde step as far as the South wairarapa was concerned. Over 30 years ago they had 15 beds at Greytown with provision for surgical cases The people of the South Wairarapa were entitled to be heard and, whatever the opinion of the board might be tne matter deserved careful eonsideration.

FINANCE NOT VITAL. The question of finance was beside the point, said Mr. Thompson, the saving to be effected by closing the institution being infinitesimal when spread over such a large district. The a “Bg«stion that major surgical cases should be sent to Masterton represented a grave danger. Trouble in that ■direction had already been experienced. There was a principle involved that the board should carefully consider. The Minister had given the deputation a very patient and courteous hearing, but in his decision he had been guided to a great extent by his experts and the policy of these experts favoured concentrating all major surgical treatment at base hospitals. If this policywas to apply to Greytown it must -also apply to Pahiatua. To his mind, ■the principle was wrong and must be carefully guarded against. He had no doubts as to what the inclinations of the hospital authorities were and it appeared that the Wairarapa was to be the first district in which the policy was to be tried out and Grevtown, one of the oldest hospitals in New Zealand, was to be the first institution involved. The old people had to be cared for and he did not think they would be justified in placing them all in one part of the district. He had not heard one substantial reason advanced for the elosing of Solway Old Men’s Home. The Minister had done his best, but he felt that the board was not entitled to adopt the recommendations. NO HALF-WAY HOUSE. I thoroughly and entirely agree With what Mr. Thompson ha* «aid " ■observeil Mr. W. B. Martin, “i have *• ~ * ‘e n a K a ‘ a »t a partial hosts al, he added, “and consider that it must either be a full hospital or none at all There can be no half wav house. i t was neithcr fair nor • that the activities and work of the Medical Superintendent at Grevtown should be restricted as was suggested by the Minister. He could see quite e early that if Solway Home were dosed it might be used as a lever to restrict the hospital facilities at Greytown. He would only favour the transference of the inmates of Solway Homo to Greytown if it could be shown that there would still be full hospital facilities at Greytown. Greytown, he add-

ed. should be entitled to that. The provision of five beds would only create an unsatisfactory position.

There were at present 45 old people at Greytown, said Mr. Thompson, and those men had been taken in temporarily. .. . The chairman (Mr. W. Fisher): “Oh, no.’*

Mr. Thompson: “Yes they were, and the hospital has been filled to the detriment of persons requiring medical treatment.” While he saw no reason why Solway Home should be closed, he thought the matter of a transfer could be arranged and the 12 inmates from Solway accommodated at Greytown. “It is a very complicated matter,” observed Mr. Fisher, who added that there would probably be trouble if they complied with the Minister’s suggestions. “It would be very unfair to restrict the doctors’ activities,” commented Mr Martin. POLITICAL DIFFERENCES. Referring to the deputation which interviewed the Minister at Greytown, Mr. Fisher characterised some of the representations as “purely political differences,” a remark that drew emphatic protests from Messrs. Thompson and MartinMr. Fisher: “Well, I am entitled to my opinion.” Dr. Sharp was sceptical regarding the wisdom of asking that 20 beds be made available at Greytown and expressed the opinion that such a request would be refused. He concurred with Mr. Martin that the activities of the doctors should not be restricted and said that the Minister’s recommendation was a reproach on their work. He moved as an amendment, that provision be made at Greytown for 10 beds with full facilities for major surgical cases, without supervision from Masterton. Such an arrangement, he considered, would meet the hospital needs of the district.

Mr. Martin: “I doubt it. There would have to be some differentiation as to the admittance of patients. I flatly disagree.” Dr. Sharp: “The figures show that the 10 beds would be sufficient.” Mr. Martin: “I know otherwise.”

Dr. Sharp: “I am sure that 10 beds would serve the hospital needs of the South Wairarapa.” Mr. H. H. Mawley seconded the amendment, observing that the doctors would be in the same position as previously as regards the treatment of major surgical eases. Mr Martin: “Well, that is quite satisfactory as far as it goes.” MAJOR OPERATIONS. As far as Pahiatua Hospital was concerned, Mr. R. B. Robertson said, he did not think it would make much difference whether major operations were carried out at Palmerston North or Masterton. Personally, he would attend a large hospital for any serious operation.

i Th , e . ’^ ea , tbat any ma i° r operations should be done at a base hospital was quite erroneous, stated Dr. Sharp. What have they at Masterton, he asked, that they have not at Greytown Hospital! On being put to the meeting the amendment was carried by 10 vote to 6.

Mr. F. W. Parry then moved a further amendment that the recommendations of the Minister be adopted. The amendment was seconded, but was lost by 12 votes to 5.

The question of the Solway Home was then considered, it being stated that the 12 inmates could be accommodated at Greytown and still leave 10 beds available for medical and surgical cases. ®

Mr. Thompson moved, Mr. Martin seconding, that Solway Home be not closed.

Mr. Robertson: “What do you intend to* do with Solway Home if you close “ a istk. r ” & Fletcher: " Y °“ are optirn-

ta Yhe nlotion was defeated by 11 votes

ANOTHER MOTION. Some members appeared a trifle wa, C ° r Mr 8 F-T hat / he positio ” a Flsher observing. don't reThL kno V here 1 am; ™ had b“tthath “ re" mo t>on.’' He moved that Solway Home be dosed and the nmr tranafcrr( ’<l to Greytown. The motion was carried on the voices, -taffi™ dlscass 'on took . P lace as to’ the the Minister ytoWn - the event °f nronosd- 1 • P . pr ° Vln? the board’s matron he d W ? s decided that a andTho're TTn 6 *’ at the inBt itution, “red to C 1 f Committee was e mpow ! ered to call for and deal with appli ca -