HOSPITAL BOARD'S QUANDARY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 476, 7 April 1909, Page 11

HOSPITAL BOARD'S QUANDARY.

(BY TELEORArH— SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Auckland, April 6. Reference was made at the meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday to tho caso in which Mr. Banhernian, man- | ager of tho Costly Home, stands committed 1 /or trial on a charge of assaulting an inmate of that institution- by giving hini a bath against his will. Tho> Costley Home Committee recommended that tho board's solicitor be instructed to act for the board when the case camo before the Supreme' Court- In response to. an ; inquiry for the reason for .the recommendation, the chairman (Mr, G. Knight) said tho committee felt that it was tho board's case as well as the manager's. If a man could refuse to bo bathed, then it was questionable whether they could carry out the regulatio j nfl iil fli:-'npt... I [(!^ej; i .all l , i kji l e ( , iy n that it was - ine'cessary for -•patients '■■iii" bebathed and kept clean. It was-in the.board's interests, as well as Mr. Bannerman's, to know what could-be done. , Mr. William Johns thought that the proper method to adopt was to instruct tho board's solicitor to , appear for Mr. Bannerman.. He had been purely carrying out his duty as the servant of tho board, and tho board should, therefore, defend him. Mr. M. J. Coylo considered that if the manager had purely been carrying. out the instructions of tho board, the board should protect him in every way. If, however, Mr. Bannerman had exceeded his'duty* then, he should defend himself. Several members concurred in the latter opinion. ', After further' discussion, _it was decided to instruct tho. board's solicitor to appear for the board in the caso in such manner.as he saw fit. A letter was also read from Dr. King, medical officer at the Homo/ asking, in view of the charge against Mr. Bannerman, for the opinion of the board's solicitor as to his position.' He had on several occasions at his own instigation, at very short notice, admitted, cither on the authority of the chairman, secretary, or. relieving officer, urgent indigent cases to the institution, and had ordered the manager to seo that the persons so admitted were mado cleanlv by means of baths and clean garments. It appeared to him that in future he should be laying himself open to a criminal charge by so doing, and he asked for his responsibility to be defined. The letter was received.