URGENTLY NEEDED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 74, 22 May 1945, Page 5

URGENTLY NEEDED

BACTERIOLOGICAL SERVICE

HOSPITAL BOARD DISCUSSION

At the last meeting of the Whaktitane Hospital Board the chairman (Mr L. Buddie) explained that an erroneous impression had been created by the remarks at last meeting regarding the delay at in connection with the bacteriological service. There was # always had somebody on duty all the and any delays which had occurred were not due to the service there.

Mr MeCready said he was still of the opinion that the service with Gisborne was far from satisfactory. It should be the Board's first endeavour to establish a bacteriological service of its own, to serve possibly other hospitals in the Bay, such as Opotiki and Tauranga. It was a very trying period for suspected cases to have to wait until word came back from Gisborne as to whether they had a certain compaint or not. It was pretty tough when it required tragedies to spur the thing to a head. He also complained of an instance which had come to his knowledge of a patient with two notifiable diseases, who was informed of them by the Health Inspector. Mr Mull ins said that the Board had been re assured by the Medical Superintendents to the careful methods employed in the hospital with regard to suspectcd cases, and under the present system he was satisfied that all was being done which coitld possibly be done. However he agreed that the Board should continue to do all its power to bring about a quicker service as far as bacteriological tests were concerned.