"FOOLING AROUND FOR FIVE YEARS"

Chronicle (Levin), 2 December 1948, Page 2

"FOOLING AROUND FOR FIVE YEARS"

Tb. Administrator's Candid Comment FolloAviiig- questions relating to tlic Tubercfiloais Bill, adclressed to members of' the medieal prot'ession in attendance at tlie meeting of the Western Hospital Pistricts Joint Sanatorium Conimitt.ee at Otaki yesterday, the desirability or otherwiae of the' uiobile X-ray unit.s provided in tlie Bill, was diseussed and a 'proposal that the replies to questions . be - taken in committee was carried p the voices. Biscussion relating to the reply was TfiSumed' .in -open meeting and eandid and fort.hriglit comment was expresscd by the chairman of the Taranaki Hospital Board, Mr. Stainton, who expres'sed tlie opinion that Hospital Boards were living in a fool's paradise and fooling themselves. He eonsidered that the pnblic should be told the facts. "We have be.en fooling around for fi've years trying to get a site and a building here," he stated. "We eannot get these because the public arc not awakened to the realities and the neeessity. It is time we faced the facts. ' ' The speaker related that Taranaki had been experimenting for thre«* years with the mobile X-ray unit and substantially the young people voiunteer to be examined out of bravado. And yet only recently two young chaps, good footballers and all, were found to be affected. ' ' I arn not i o favour of the mobile unit. 11 canimi succeed while we are prepared as a communitv to drift along. We are face to face with a real problem that tliis or anv Government wi.ll have to tackle with urgency, " continued Mr. Stainton. "There is no cooperation by the public and I venture to say the two great difficulties are apatliv and fear. Twice a year you have to be examined for a warrant of lituess for your car or you are eonsidered a menace, and yet the great question of health is treaied as a minor and a secondary considera tiori. The job should be tae.kled from the compulsory approach; we have been talking for five years already and the public think we are the humbugs and cau 't get on. ' ' Mr. Toogood (Wellington) agreed that all patients that attend the liospi tals should be screened. * "We mustn't put our lieads in the sand. The more we investigatc the more we are certaiu that insistente1 must be properly tackled. ' ' Acute Shortage of Nursing Aids. The report of the medical superintendeut of the Otaki Sanatorium, Dr. C. F. Wilson, on the position as regards uursing aids was, in the words of the chairman, "verv disquieiing. ' ' Members diseussed the Jack of response to appeals that had been made and the managing secretary advised that a lot of monoy had been spenl in advertising within a radius of 80 miles. 13 r. Wilson advised that during the next two months there must be an inevitahle drop in admissions to the sanatorium

at Otaki. Quite a number of patients who were now reasonablv lit wouJd be going out and because of stalf difficulties the number treated must drop substantially. The iiistitution was rela tively well oif for trained staff. Mr. Toogood thought auother iilm should be produced this year, and olfered the opinron that the grounds and environment at Otaki would lenc1 themselves to tlie production and that some part of the film should be in relation to the recruiting of aids. He advised members to get women 's organisations to arrange spccial screenings, this giving the film a greater direct appeal. At present tho iilms were nnh shown in schools. \ further suggestion was that the Hospital Boards' Association should direct a portion of its fuuds to intensive advertisiug for nursifig aids. At the comnie.ncement of the meeting, the chairman, Mr. J. A. Nash, made feeling reference to tlie sudden passing of Mr. Anderson, a nicniber of the committee. Mr. Nash stated that he would like to qfiace 011 reeord the committee 's apprcciation of tlie services rendered by Mr. Anderson. All would agree that he had been a koen supporter of the establishment and crectioji of a sanatorium in the lower part of the North island and his oue object had been to get the job done. Members stood in silence as a mark of respect. \ The chairman extended a "cordial welconie to Mr. Gcrnhoefer, of the .Stratford Hospital Board, who had been axjpointcd to replace Mr. Anderson. A communication was read from "the Taranaki Hospital Board, advising tlieir desirc to make a donation to wards the Christmas eheer fund for the patients and enclosing a cheque foi £15. Members agreed that constituent boards should be reminded of their re-

sponsibilities in this direction and letters are to be seut out. Mr. Nash ussured Ihe coniniitiee that none of the patients Avould go short. fcjtreet collections were being arrangcd in Palmerston North and otlier places. The managing secrctarv of the Palmerston North Hospital Board advised that the approval of the Loans Board had been seeured for a loan of £12,500 for the Otaki Sanatorium. It was, resolved to suggest to tho Departnient of Health that tenders be invited for a new X-ray instaJlafion 011 the lines set out by the medical superintendent and associates, wh.o had reported thereon.