PARENTS NOT WARNED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2510, 10 July 1915, Page 12

PARENTS NOT WARNED

OF SON'S ILLNESS QUESTIONS IN, THE HOUSE <■ 'A'notlior sad case of parents having been warned of_ thq serious illness of their son, a soldier at Trentham, almost too lato for them to see him alive, was narrated by Mr. Ct. W. Russell in the Honso of llepvesDiitntives yesterday. '"Jlr. llusscll asked Whether tlio Governmcut would arrange. that information should, bo at; once forwarded to tlie parents, or next-of-kin directly , a soldier • was sont' 'into "hospital froic camp. . t . Mr. Alien said that that had been arranged, though it had not been so in tho early stages.' Mr. liussell said that lie regretted to have to narrate • a painful ■ series of facts in this connection. A trooper named :E. Smith, of Linwood ; whose death'was announced that morning, was moved from the camp to Kahvarrn. Hospital on Juno IG. Oil Juno 28 ho was removed to the -Wellington Hospital, -and tho first information that his parents and relatives received that lie was ill, or'in hospital, was conveyed to them on Saturday last by a trooper, a friend of their son, who called at their home at! Linwood. -On- Monday they telegraphed to Wellington, and Dr. Barclay replied -that, their son had been, moved, from .hospital {lie previous day. They came up \at once. He did' not krow whether tho. man was taken from Wellington- to Kaiwarra or to thp camp at Trentham. The Hospital authorities were unablo to give the information, but said that ihe man's removal was •ordered by Dr. Henderson. 'He under--stood that the Hospital antliorities.,at Wellington had no control over patients" sent there from the camp, who wero visited twice a day by doctors from '.tlie camp. The Hospital doctors were only sent in in urgent oases. The young man was practically on the brink of death' when his mother arrived, and she obtained only one glance of recognition from her bo j y_ before ho died. If that were'the'position it" was' absolutely cruel, and was the kind of thing that could not bo going on with tho consent .or knowledge of the Minister of Defence or the Minister of Public Health. ThoGovernment should-, givo instructions that somo one should be appointed so ;fchat parents should, bp informed directly a man entered hospital. ■ Tlio Hon. R. E. Ithodes said lie regretted very much to hear what Mr; Russell had said. Ho did not kuow where the lapse of duty had occurred. , On.-.taking over the-control of the sick —on June -23, bo thought—he gave in-' •structions that next-of-kin should be ! notified in all such ca-scs, aiid Dr. Valihtin'e told him that he had already placed similar' instructions in : his regulations. Later ho was informed . that I some parents had not been notified, and ho' issued instructions. that somebody must b.b detailed to notify next-of-kin of a man's removal to hospital, and of any the worse in his condition, andjto : answer., telegrams.and inquiries. He would,have the case , just brought undoi-his. notice inquired into. ••-i-Mr.- _to the case' of "PrivateVWilliaiii Harris, of Auckland, .whoso sister,' lie 'said, TiTote twice within a fortnight to ask how he was ■no reply. Tlien; she received a telegram .'.to-say that-he. was dead. There, must ,;bS:;Wmetbiilgl'.going on. which was not ;ki:own- to-members of the' Cabinet. ' •-•■Mr.--Hindmarsh: The Minister ought to resign: ; ' . v.Mr; Rhodes.: I' have "nothing further to.'reply.-except that I will instituto in'quiries into-the .case., .y •