A STERN SPEECH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 436, 19 February 1909, Page 5

A STERN SPEECH.

X ; BY DR; VALINTINE. V v • HIS OPINION OF NAPIER HOSPITAIi. ;^;'VPATHETIC:'CLOSING"; INCIDENT.: V ;.-;v'-(bx tijMGßirn— BrEouii coerespondent.) ',' '■-';...y ':C,' , y : v-;- ; r Na P |er i February,, 18.' '.: A. speciar'.meetinglof ;tho;Napior Hospital Trustees 'was 1 . :hold this'/•"afternoon for /the purppsa '"'pf■ cpnferring with ,Dr; •. Valiutino, lusr^btor>Gre!iera]; ;of : Hospitals, . ;upon'' some, rcforms. : 'at/tlib ; ,:institution.'''■'.'■.•.' ./In-tlib coiirte/ofyiiis speech,; Dr. Valintino .said/that'hb',liad';to/apologise for calling a special:' meeting 'of /ihe- ; trustees/ but .ho thought'.it /better. ;to;. adopt this'coursb, and. carefully bxplain, tho i-esrilts of his inspection, instead /of I'submittihg i. a;v scathing "report _ on 'the..instituiibn//'Hethbught : that:tlio. hospital sh6wed, : tueieed;for a,chaugb;in organisation, as.:tfe'geberarstatb of affairs"'at.' the institu;tion:was:!vcry/fa'rifrpm :whatat should:;be..v ■ ■ / ;//p /Overprowdad;: and/ Not. Clean. / v/v;. ,He/dbsired; tb'tiear/out;/wh^t/had/been stated'by" tho- medical; sup;erinterident. in;;regard!to:bverbrbwding, ,but:: he found.:fault: with the' interiorV of/the' buildingj. which/ did hbt;"Bhbw.' : that /sprupulous'cleanliness /that should;;be; found, inv a hospitals ; ; The; wards as they;;should;be; wljiie, tlie/'iayatories./wore, also marked:;by uncleanliness: /The building was'in a general, state' of';dißrepair,/ : whiie'the.'grounds : werp ;very ;-¥:.>;,;-'";;. ; -•.■;.-,' ' --"'.'" -."■'-. -;.""-.-"-<". : ' He also found a want of harmony amongst the a'dmiriistrative;orScers,;whicli-;was; partly 'due ; 'to- outsidb.-'interference, and also': to a; want of deftnitcness' in regard to the respective duties 'of:thb 'officers".'.;. The. by T laws could ■be'"' readany/'way, and it .was necessary that these /should/be, amended.via 'order: to-deflne 'of /the';officers/'.:; •'.- : ;; /; ■ ./:■'/ /; :>,y/' ;:;rvt ; jDnß/ Bright: Featurb^Vi/./■•: .^,/;". ■■->'%,^/f6und';ttat/;in/spits' : of;iail' : the■■'..draw-' ' backs which; lie 'had : mentiened;-:the patients, were "very/well;' looked :after..by the; medical superinterideiit/ry■:This -'.was bno ■ satisfactory, part iii/the: hospital .management, taiiiiy-'was a : very-great thing!:■ The:attend--1 a'nce : -'"'pf:'"'the medical, superintendent- was ;all i thbt'■ could -De.'desired,; : arid,, with. 6,7 patients, to'look:after,/ : it.was.npt.to-be:expeQted,that one man.'-withbut assistance, could look after every side''if /the .hospital.,:' There," was ■ a :hecd for improvement in. tho ccbnomic.orgam-satiori..p|■'-:tho"hospital;:;which..wits in of !chabs/'/::; ; ;/';,-';:/:v. >/7;'' : ;.;rt : '. ; '/'/.,'/.//. :H ; />^;.::;// : Cb'ricerning' i tne/ Nurses;. ■;;//:;,:/'// =. : '. tbiho'mursing side'ofitKe'.hospital,' which was under, the charge of the matron,' Dr.; yalintine :■' said/that 1 here -he .found- ;«onsider-a,ble-:-disbrgahi'satiori;. -Hbifound the;,Bupply plvtrairied: nurses absolutely 'inadequate;, and,, put -'"of-.the nineteen nurses, vthere were;:piily two qualified' registered nurses/ and he recommeridexl the/appointment of; at: least two other, registered-.'nurses'.-vHe'was pleased,;however,' to -find-thatifour, ;of the senior nurses",were willirik : ?;tb : itay;:,bn;_ if'desired, Rafter;: they; passef/ : ''theii : .' ; examination—a fact ..-.which' showed'that-there was.not that absolute;dis-. loyalty., : to ! thb;'rnatrph;.that-:soinp people;;had endeavouredrto, make out;:,. j.-r' .}Xi/-''- ;i ;:...:.',? ]if\ ■ :'..^°l«sf ß^'y-'Kbflt..;:/'; : ;'/^"j'-;'-;; f -v Coming-;to '■'•thfrr'clerical -Im'anagemeht'.-.bff.the; hospital, said"'that.ho-fouira the .books' very badly kept, and; in this connec-tion;--'he: considered that the secretary, Captain. 'Bake'r^'re'quir'ei-assistance,' as; he had far .top intp-tiie'.'Btbres": of ,:the.' hospital,;/;'arid tiohed/severaL'cases/of/heedless expehditurpV; ;Fbr '■ instance,/,2s.va ,dbzeii'','^f.as.Vbeing-.;paid-'fbr,4ggs,,,whil6:/private,;'peoi>le were ; paying. : ohly'ls;.9d.V,"while/at'Palmerstbn'Nprtb,"only ls^:4d;/per ;dozeii;;:was; paid;for>eggs;._.v He also iiistanped*:the;-increased;;cost, of: hieat; and/'the/large;!morease/.,m tlio/expenditure' ■for- drugs. //He: also. febommended.;:the::'ap- ; •pointmentbi an : additipnal: medical'bfEce'r,'at of;:£200;;a/year./';Dr/Valintinp:concluded ;byvs'aying:that: ha'd'thadsa'very good; name ihthe 'past; and; he 'virked'the/membersrbf tlie'board/to/make a"-fres]iV;start':ih- ; pfder''tbat;this -gobd name '-migbf^be;regained:'/;;;;;;;/; M-MJ-':::^ ./ //

/.^i-Jv:^ftTi:usteo^Handsi ovar siopo;^, 7.£ >/KAt/vihe' conclusion v'bf;DrC" /Valintirie's'/ ■dress : 'a'':inost ! .|iatlibtib' incident' occurred;;''Mr,. -W>''Sbrim'ptony'bhe'of't-he: trustees,; speaking with'great.feeling/:said';that'tha'most serious part ;p£;Dr. report 'referred ,-tb/: tfib o7eftr6wding. : i;of\.ih'e.'' : *'bbsp^ a ?. , -= iH«;.;iUnder-," stoods:that:,iti'-had.- : : ; that > 'children's'Ward-'could ''be 'erected :/for/£2OOO, and-."heVbegged.';' a■. donation;which,. witTi^tbe,'Government'.subsidy,.would'enable ibe/pfebtibnl" of'{such-!a>: ward;'. v-He :";'did. : i. this ■ ■in .memory:of :/prib" who/had just 'passed '/away," .anarhe-wbuldimakevT^ry.: few' : conditions... He would/ask ..that/ the 'ward'i should "be Inambd' after'ibis 'little;' son,' /who, -whilb Hying,; chad .received/all ;/fcho;carb..'arid. attention; which be wishbiMow/'snbuli :be';. extenclediwto/. other 'm'alje.'a': donation, /of ! £ioop.-.fpr tbb purpose;'/and,;hoihoped that, the ,wbrkVwbuidjbb : Skrimjkon f ,thcn ■;"retired'^.'and,^thb'.\' : tiTistt , es.' passed-a//mbtibn'-'of 'condolence', and thanks fbrhis/'muiiificent .gift,'.and a committee was iiormed'tb. : rep6rt.,upon:Dr,''y'alintine's recpm-: men'datibns'to.i'.tlib; next/ordinary, meeting. /".