MORE TROUBLE AT COOK ISLANDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1102, 15 April 1911, Page 6

MORE TROUBLE AT COOK ISLANDS.

A HOSPITAL MATTER.

EXTRAORDINARY CONDITION OF : AFFAIRS,

STARTLING CORRESPONDENCE

Some remarkable correspondence, relating to a request for tho admission of. certain surgical cases to tho Government Hospital at Rarotonga, has been : handed to us for publication. It will j bo seen that tho Hospital was officially gazetted as open in April, 15)10, and that nino months later, when application was made for the admission of the cases mentioned, delays occurred which not only provoked a strong protest from thp medical practitioner in private practice at the island, but which also call for the fullest inquiry on the part of the authorities here. Wo give the correspondence in full as follows, and would direct special attention to the dates of the letters:— Teotue. January 31, 1911. The Resident Commissioner, Karotonga. • Dear sir, —1 shall be obliged if you will inform' me if the Hospital is ready to receive patients for surgical treatment, '.and, if not, when it will be. I have a .patient.suffering from a serious malad}', and requiring immediate surgical attendance. _ ■.'•'Will you please give this matter your immediate attention, uis it is decidedly urgent.—Yours faithfully, ' -' . C. M. DAWSON, M.B.C.M. Rarotonga, February 1, 1911. Sir. —I have the honour to acknowiego the receipt of your letter of Januiry 31 received by me this day. As far as I am aware the Hospital is ready, to receive patients for surgical treatment. If the patient is a native ha will bo attended to free of charge by Dr. Story, who is acting for Dr. Ohessbn, the Chief Medical and Health Officer, now on short sick leave in New Zealand. If it should be a European patient of your own, I will have no objection to your using the Hospital for such patient, pending the return of tho Chief Medical and Health Officer. On his arrival he will deal with all questions such'-'as' this: I do not interfere with his department.—l have the honour to ty:, .etc., ■ • ■(Sgd.) ..J. EMAN SMITH,' Resident Commissioner, >. .. Dr...0. M. Dawson, M.8., CM. . Rarotonga. Teotue. February 3, 1911. . The -Resident Commissioner, ■ Karotonga. Sir,—l shall" be obliged if you will ascertain and inform me-whether the Acting-Medical Officer will admit to tho Hospital for treatment a'case of cancer of the breast for immediate operation, a case'of suppurating appendicitis, and a case of ischiorectal abscess. :'Discourtesy on the part of tho Chief Medical Officer compels me to deal through you in this matter.—l am, .fours faithfully. . C. M. DAWSON, M.8., CM. v. ;.■ . Rarotonga, '* i'r " ' 8, 1911. j ' Sir,—l have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 3rd instant asking mo if the Acting-Medical Officer will admit to the Hospital certain patients mentioned by you whom, I understand, you are attending. .1 have referred the correspondence to Dr. Story. He states he thinks the question Jiad better bo left over for the Chief Medical and Health Officer to deal with on his return, and I agree with him. •■ Of course, you understand that Dr. Story only consented to act temporarily for Dr. Ohesson, whilst absent on sick leave. For-your information I may ■say that I expect Dr. Chesson on the 16th instant.—l have tho honour to be, etc., ' (Sgd.) J. EMAN SMITH, Resident Commissioner, : : Dr. C 31. Dawson, M.8., CM., ; Rarotonga. - Teotue, - .. ■ _ February 27, 1911. The Resident- Commissioner, Rarotonga. Sir, —I find that the Hospital was gazetted as open in April, 1910. As Dr. Story has declined to admit to tho Hospital the patients referred to in my letters of January 31 and February 3 last, and as Dr. Chesson has not' returned at tho time you. indicated ■in your letter of February 8, I must ask you what is to bo dono in tho matter. It is an unfortunate circumstance that some surgical cases will not wait for anyone's convenience, and as one of. the cases referred to in my letter of January 31 has already died,, and I .'had to do an emergency operation on lanother in a native- house, I decline to accept any responsibility either legal or 'moral in this or any similar case. By the terms of your letter of February 8 the responsibility will bo shared by Dr. Story and yourself.—l am, yours faithfully, . . C. M. DAWSON. . Rarotonga, March 14, 1911. The Resident Commissioner, Rarotonga. Sir, —I am compelled to remind you that you have not replied to my letter oi February 27 last. Since then I have had a letter from you on a matter of minor importance. You have been placed in charge of the Administration "of these islands, and it is your duty to see that your officers do their -work.—l am, yours faithfully, C M. DAWSON. P.S.—Perhaps you cannot see that in this matter human lives aro concerned. Rarotonga, March 14, 1911. . Sir, —I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of February 27 last and 14th instant respectively, and in reply to inform you that che whole of the correspondence will •bo handed to tho Chief Medical Officer on his arrival for him to deal with, as indicated in mine of February 1 addressed to you. —I have tho honour to be, etc., (Sgd.) J. EMAN SMITH, Resident Commissioner. Up to April 1, 1911, no further communication had been received on tho subject of tho foregoing correspondence, either from tho Resident Commissioner, Dr. Story, or tho Chief Medical Officer.