ST. HELENS NOT POPULAR

Chronicle (Levin), 2 September 1947, Page 7

ST. HELENS NOT POPULAR

Press Association)

LAST HOPE OF EXPECTANT MOTHERS

(Per

WELLINGTON, Sept. 1. A statement was made today by the chaii'nian of the Wellington Hospital Board (Mr. H. F. Toogood) on the reply given by the Minister of Health- (Miss Howard) in the House of Representatives last week to an vtrgent question based on remarks made by Mr. Toogood to the effect that "women were reluctant to enter 'St. Helens Hospital because they were reluctant to act as guiuea pigs for midwives in training. " Miss. Howard liad deseribed th'is comment as "entirely misleading and pernicious. ' ' ' ' Arising out of the use of a remark which, in the first instanee, was made by a disappointed expeetant mother who eould not be given a booking at Wellington Hospital and who was invited to apply at St. Helens, an urgent question has been asked of the Minister of Health," said Mr. Toogood. "The wonian in question did not want to go to St. Helens and become a guinea pig in teaching midwives. "The question asked the Minister if she would take the neeessary steps to ensure that the most expert and painless treatment was provided (in St. Helens) by competent obstetricians." The reply given by the Minister was to the e'ft'ect that all was well at St. Helens. "No doubt if the wonian 's complaint had been stated as a resistance on her part to provide clinical material it would have been more acceptable to the Minister, but much less widely understood, ' ' said Mr. Toogood. "But she was a wonian iti earnest who had no time to waste in patching fig leaves for the naked truth. Now, what is the truth? ' ' Firstly, let it be agreed that for the purpose uow iu view, namely, the teaching of midwifery and having regard to the tradition held that childbirth should be considered a natural occurrence, St. Helens is a first-class maternity institution. But, notwithstanding the liigh ideals, the splendid past reeord, the kiudness aud care given iu nursing, St. Helens is not as acceptable to expeetant mothers as 'opeu' institutions where patients are atleuded by their own doctors. Bookings Compared, "The extent to which objection is made to St. Helens is shown • by the bookings at July 7 for October of this year. There exists witliin the city I5d recognised maternity beds, and on the basis of two cases a bed a month the normal accominodation will serve 306 cases. For the niontli stated there had been booked 285 cases, or 1.S6 cases a bed. On tlie surface of it this appears satisfactory, but an exaiuination of the places where beds have been booked reveals the weakness of St. Helens. St. Helens has 33 beds and, on the date stated aud for the month of October, had 32 bookings, less tlian oue a month. Wellington Hospital will have -14 beds in October and, if staff can be found, could take 88 cases conveniently ; alreadv it has 100 cases booked. The other maternity beds' in the city are 76 in uumbcr and, at and for the dates stated, had 153 bookings, or just the iiniit of two cases a bed. "It is well known what«will happen in October: St. Helens will be tilled on a compulsory basis by the overbookings at Wellington Hospital, and the Minister will be able to say: ' Look at our splendid reeord.' But' what is asked of the .Minister is: Hoes she wam to force women to become the clinical material for a systeni of teaching midwives which is objeetionable to the patient "The popularity of the inateruity ward at the Wellington Hospital is because it is an 'opeu' ward into which an expeetant niothe" can take her own persona,! doctor, who, as may be required, will exereise the neeessary obstetrical skill to inollify the pangs ot ehildbirth. * " ~ Two Points of View. "There are two points of view: Oue. the teaching of midwives; tlie othei. Ihe wishes of patients. Both may be equally iinportant, but the Hospital Board, rightlv or wrongly, gives greater eniphasis to the patient 's poiut of view Patients iu the Wellington Hospital are expected to receive all that the meinber for Auckland Central asked the Alinister to ensure — 'the most expert and painless treatment,' and this is what expeetant mothers appreciate. ' ' If the teaching of midwives ealls for less than this, it is held that the methods adopted are out of date and • sliould be altered. New times demand new measures and it remains with the Minister of Health to adopt methods of training midwives more acceptable to patients. If no cliange is made »St. Helens will still reinain the last hope of disappointed expeetant mothers who seek for a maternity bed."