OUT-PATIENT SERVICE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 96, 19 February 1947, Page 5

OUT-PATIENT SERVICE

HOSPITAL EXTENSION, TREATING OF PATIENTS Mr 11. C. McCready at the meetinug of the Whakatane Hospital Board last Thursday mov-‘-ed that pending the creation of an out-patients' service from the local hospital, patients who were unable to obtain medical attention in the town or district would be pei*mitted to be taken direct to hospital for examination. The chairman, Mr J. Mullins, pointed out that following the recent Matata case, he had interviewed all the medical practitioners in the town and all were agreeable to ensure a permanent coverage for the community by friendly agreement amongst themselves. If that were done the danger would no longer exist. Mr McCready said that such agreement did not overcome the difficulty of all doctors being away at the-one time, through some extreme set of circumstances—or perhaps one left on his own might be faced with a series of serious cases which he could not possibly hope to meet. Where a hospital existed, surely it should be prepared to operate under such circumstances and meet the position. All that the Medical Officer had to do then was to examine the patient and either admit him or send him home.

Mr Caulfield agreed, though the chairman pointed out the danger of people making very feeble efforts to obtain medical advice and pestering the medical officers of the institution with petty complaints. Mr McCready’s motion was carried.