HOSPITAL SYSTEM

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 121, 17 May 1932, Page 2

HOSPITAL SYSTEM

CENTRALISATION PROPOSALS

OPPOSITION BY H.B. BOARD The proposed alteration to the administration of the hospital system in New* Zealand was considered at the Hawke’s Bay Hospital Board’s meeting yesterday afternoon when dealing with remits to be dealt with at the annual conference at Wellington of the Hospital Boards’ Association on June 9. The Hawke’s Bay Board’s delegates to the conference are Messrs. E. T. Rees, C. O. Morse, and Dr. H. M. Wilson, or failing the latter, Mr. S. J. McKee. “I am definitely opposed to centralisation,” said Mr. C. Duff. “I have never seen it a success in any country where it has been tried.” Mr. McKee also stated tint he was opposed to many of Dr. Bigg’s proposals. “I say that they could not be carried out with a saving of £250,000 a year,” he said. “It is impossible to carry them out and if they are, they would probably cost £lOO,000 a year.” The chairman: There are quite a number of the points that I am against and there are quite a number of points that would bring about a better arrangement. I can't see that we would have a great saving untimately. Then there was the question of the training of the younger medical men and surgeons, said Mr. Morse. It appeared to him as if Wellington or the other bigger centres would be the places where all the work was done. There would thus be no opportunity for the brilliant young men in the smaller centres. “The point to be considered,” said the chairman “is the point of view of the patient and most of the proposals lose sight of that point. lam quite in agreement that local government is far better, particularly in regard to hospital work, than the suggested government. There are quite a lot of economy points in the proposals and the delegates should be left with a free hand to deal with these.” As the board did not have the agenda paper for the conference, it was decided to call a special, meeting at a later date to deal with it.