The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1889. MEDICAL ATTENDANCE AT THE HOSPITAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2029, 5 January 1889, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1889. MEDICAL ATTENDANCE AT THE HOSPITAL.

In yesterday's issue we published the ;ext of a letter which has been addressed by Drs Leahy aad Tweed to the Chairman of the Ashbur ton Hospital Board preferring the request that they may be at liberty to attend such of their own patients as avail themselves of the benefits of the institution, and may desire to continue under the treatment of their own medical man. It is somewhat surprising th&t it should be necessary to make such an application, inasmuch as the privilege asked for ?s accorded m most of the hospitals m the colony, and, if we mistake not, is m accordance with the practice which has obtained for years at Christchurch, Timaru, Oamarn, and elsewhere, and we cannot see that there is any possible objection to it. On the other hand it obviously offers some very distinct advantages as well to the institution as to the publio at large. As is pointed out m the doctors' letter there are many persons who would go to the hospital instead of being treated at their own homeß or lodging if they could retain the services of the medical man to whose treatment they have been accustomed, and whom they believe to understand their constitution better than any strange doctor could possibly do, and to compel them as at present to take the alternative of a change of doctors or to remain m inconvenient lodgings is often to ensure the latter course being taken with all its drawbacks and disadvantages. To say this is to imply no want of confidence m the skill and ability of the medical manin charge of the hospital — the case would be precisely the same whichever of our local doctors or whatever doctor happened to hold the office, and we do not see that to accede to the request of Prs Leahy and Tweed would m the slightest degree infringe the privileges or interfere with the status of Dr Trevor. Nor do we imagine that the last-named gentleman would m the least object to the arrange ment proposed. We therefore anticipate that the Hospital Board will find no difficulty m acceding to the request which has been preferred.