DUAL CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 147, 11 March 1918, Page 6

DUAL CONTROL

CARE OF SICK SOLDIERS

NEW ARRANGEMENTS

It was announced by the Prime Minister on Friday evening that "the little difficulty" in the Cabinet had been "amicably settled." .

The facts are that the Defence Department is to resume control of all institutions in which returned sick and wounded soldiers are treated. The .first proposal was that Mr. Russell should retain neurasthenic patients and consumptives under his care. The Defence Department was not in any way unwilling to take over control of these cases as well as all tho others, but it was well understood that Mr. Russell would resist the proposal to take out of his control a branch of work in which he had taken great interest, and for this reason it was considered that lie might be left in charge of some part of the work. This was tho proposal at first agreed to, but after consideration Mr. Russell decided to hand over everything, including the care of neurasthenic and consumptive soldiers to the military medical authorities.

One of the first changes that is to he. made is to be the abandonment of the 'Wolfe Home in Auckland, an institution established under Mr. Russell's ommigemunt for the treatment of men returning 'from the war suffering from nerve shock or strain. The objection to this institution is that it is situated quite close to the Mental Hospital, and the men are reminded much too strongly of the fact that they are not mentally normal. Some of \ them Lave suffered by the ! dread that they might one day have to pass over to tho Alental , Hospital. The homo is to be given up, and auother will be found not quite so near the Mental Hospital. There is no such objection to the liaritano Home, which is beautifully situated on the sea coast about six miles from tho big asylum at Seaclitf. Mr. Russell states that this home will revert to tho Mental Hospitals Department, and that the Defence Department will erect another building, but there is a probability that arrangements may be made to retain this excellent home for soldiers. There was already need for new institutions foi the treatment of consumptive soldiers, and the Minister of Public Health had been considering the erection of such institutions. Now 3 that the control has been altered the new buildings will be erected under the direction of the military medical officers, instead of under the officers of the Health Department. STATEMENT BY HON. C. W. RUSSELL DIFFICULTIES UNDER DUAL CONTROL. The Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of Public Health, made a statement on Saturday with retcrence to the transfer of the. control of institutions for returned sick and wounded soldiers from the Public Health Department to tho Defence Department. He said that there had been considerable overlapping and friction arising from dual control. The invalided men had been placed under tho care of his Department for treatment while they were still soldiers, and so subject to the orders of the Defence authorities. "The friction," said the Minister, "has been largely created and augmented by the fact that one of the officers of the Public Health Department, the Inspector-General of Hospitals, occupied also the position of Director of Military Hospitals, as a Defence appointment—the result being that to a very large extent the control of sick and wounded mcii has been taken out of my hands and exercised by officials. As a case in point, it maybe mentioned that of tho huge number of men who from time to time have arrived in New Zealand tram tho front, in no case has a statement been forwarded to me in advance of the anticipated arrival of these men.to enable me to make the necessary pre- j parations for their reception." I After stating that the Defence De- J partment would in the future tako en- j tire responsibility for tho health and j treatment of every soldier, Miv Rus-! sell said that tho To Waikato Sttnator- j ium, which is now occupied entirely by ] soldier patients, would, as soon as the j Defence Department had made the nee- j essary arrangements, be again ojicn for j civilians. All female patients ••Are now I concentrated at Otaki Sanatorium, which the Government some time ago took over. In like manner, the neurus- j thenic cases now at Knritane Home would be'held until tins Defence Department had made thei necessary arrangements for tho erection of its own building and for the employment of its own staff, while the Wolfe Home at Auckland would once Un-ore become available for a classification of mental cases from tho ordinary mental hospital patients. "In like manner the civilian hospitals will regard as thair first duty the attentions of the civilian population." added Mr. Russell. "So far as their capacity allows, soldiers will bo taken there, but when the demand for further accommodation caused by the admission of soldiers compels the erection of new buildings; the entire responsibility will bo vrith the Defence Department. "In tho discussions that have taken place with regard to the matter I am thankful to say; that no charge of inefficiency or want of responsibility to our "soldiers has been Drought against my Department. On the contrary, the , committee of Cabinet, consisting of Sir Francis Bell and the Hon. J. A. Hanan, reported to Cabinet 'that Mr. Russell lias,controlled the care of the wounded, and conducted the duties he undertook wider 'the arrangement of 1915, with'tho utmost care and efficiency.' "It is Hot, therefore, on account of anything that has happened in the past outside of dual control and overlapping that tho change has been made, but to promote a greater measure of efficiency in the treatment of our brave men. I sincerely hone that the results will prove that the change has been justified*"