OTAKI SANATORIUM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1849, 8 September 1913, Page 5

OTAKI SANATORIUM.

MR. GARDINER CONTRADICTED. Sir, —I road with groat surprise Sir. Gardiner's reniarKS aoout tho Otaki Sanatorium, uttered at the last mooting of tho Hospital Board. 1 cannot understand why ho, a member of tho board, should havo taken so little troublo to verify facts beforo speaking in' a way calculated to discourage t'hoso working in tho Sanatorium, 10 dishearten tho patients, and to thoroughly mislead the public. Having worked nearly lour years in the Sanatorium, and since leaving having kept in touch with many of the patiencs, L ain in tho position to contra-, uict somo of ivir. Gardiner's most erroneous statements, l'or oxamplo, ho says: 1. 'Thirteen people aro employed to .take earo of seventeen patients. 2. That 1 not ono pationt says he or sho lias received any benefit from being at tho Sanatorium. 3. No attempt is made to follow up tho patients attor they leave the Sanatorium. Sir, if Mr. Gardiner had spoken to either tho doctor or matron ho would havo learned that theso statements were absolutely incorrect. At tho Sanatorium there are eight people employed— namely, two sisters, three probationers, a cook, housomaid, and porter. The doctor and matron havo charge of both Hospital and Sanatorium. As a rulo the patients number between twenty-five and thirty. ■ I find it difficult to limit myself to one or two examples absolutely refuting Mr. Gardiner's second statement. But will quote from ono among tho many letters in my possession. A mother writing to ■ mo says': "I can never bo grateful enough for the time spent at the Otaki Sanatorium, which not only did mo good, but taught mo how to prevent myself from being a danger to my boys." Tho third statement: "No attempt is made to follow up tho patients after they lc-'ave the Sanatorium," reveals Mr. Gardiner's extraordinary ignorance about tlio working of tho institution. Does ho not know that printed forms aro sent to ox-patients every two or three months to bo filled in and returned, and that tho matron has a drawer full of theso * filled. . in forms and of letters from old patients? Also does ho not know how many ex-patients return to Otaki to see tho doctor and matron, from whom they know thoy will receive tho kindest advice and sympathy? Now I come to tho most serious charge made against tho Otaki Sanatorium: "Not ono patient has been cured." Ono is indeed glad that in spito of many disappointments 'that statement is also incorrect. To provo tho sanatorium is nobly fulfilling tho purpose for which it was built, 1 can speak of somo of the cases personally known to me. Remember, 1 left tho sanatorium some years ago. Five expatients are happily, married; threo aro working in shops; three on land; one teaching; four are leading homo lives. All theso havo had no roturn of tho Unfortunately, the fact that no patient is reported as. cured till ho has been away from tho sanatorium for two /years without any return of tho disease gives a colour of truth to this member's depressing statement. Though a member of tho board, he, too, does not appear to know tho two great purposes for which tho sanatorium exists: — First: To help peoplo to arrest the progress of tho disease. ■ Second: To educate them, so that their stato of health should be no danger to others. Tho authorities of the sanatorium keep patients until the disease is arrested, or, .in other words, until tlio patient is ionvaloscent. No patient ig reported as cured until he or sho has. been away from tho institution for two years without any relapso. When a patient is well enough to work, and knows exactly what to do to go on im- . proving in health without boing a danger to any ono, then it is timo to leave to make room for otliors to come and benefit in the samo way. Tho samo principle is carried out in a hospital. When a patient with a broken leg is ablo to get about on crutches, ho leaves with every hope of his leg continuing to improve. But the hospital is not considered a failuro because it did not keep him until he could walk without sticKS. In conclusion, may I give a little advice to any ono suffering from phthisis? Pay no heed to what ill-informed , members of tho Hospital Board may say, but go to tho Otaki Sanatorium, and receive there treatment which wil) mi\ke you say with bo many others, "Thank God, there is such an institution."—l am, etc., AN EX-SISTER OF THE OTAKI SANATORIUM. September 5, 1913.