TUBERCULOSIS MAY BE CURED

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 131, 2 March 1928, Page 10

TUBERCULOSIS MAY BE CURED

NOT ENOUGH INSTITUTIONS MENTAL HOSPITALS BEHIND REQUIREMENTS ADDRESS BY GOVERNORGENERAL In the course of the opening ceremony at the new Wellington Hospital building yesterday, His Excellency the Governor-General made some observations on the principles of voluntary and rate-aided systems of paying for the maintenance of hospitals, with special reference lo New Zealand institutions for the treatment of tuberculosis, and also our mental hospitals, which he considered were deserving of more attention. His remarks drew forth a reply from the Minister of Health, Hon. J. A. Young, upon hospital administration and treatment in New Zealand generally. His Excellency was of the opinion that New Zealand was very much to be congratulated upon her hospitals and hospital systems, and he doubted whether there was any country in the world which gave more attention to the needs of the sick and suffering community. What was running in his mind was the State-aided and rate-aided system as compared with the voluntary system at Home. There was no doubt that the keeping up of the hospitals by voluntary contributions did engender in the minds of the people a feeling of great sympathy for suffering humanity. It called forth an immense amount of individual self-sacrifice, and in that respect there was much to be said for the system. He hoped that here, where they had a different system, and where the financial burden, because spread so widely, rested easily on the community, there would be no diminution of the interest and sympathy of the general public in the hospital system. In comparing the two systems it might be said that the one aroused everyone to self-sacrifice and giving, and the other might make it mechanical. He would like to make one plea. There were two points in hospitals in New Zealand which he would like to see more developed. He referred first to the sanatoria for tuberculosis cases. He bad inquired a good deal going about the country, and it seemed that tuberculosis could be practically stamped out in New Zealand, given proper treatment and facilities. The institutions they had already were doling marvellous work, but they had not, in fact, got enough of them. Much to be Desired. In the second category were the mental hospitals, winch, after all, were every bit as important as those which treated physical infirmities. He did not think he would be contradicted if he said that, magnificent as their system was for the care of the sick, their mental hospitals left much to be desired. Yet medical science for the treatment of mental diseases had advanced enormously of late years. In the pride of their great hospitals in New Zealand, let them not forget the necessity for adequate mental hospitals, and he hoped, as the years went by, sufficient provision would be made to bring those mental hospitals of theirs up to modern requirements. He thought they were far behind that. Minister Replies. The Hon. J. A. Young said he had listened to His Excellency’ with great interest, for he had referred to the system in the Old Country, which depended on voluntary contributions, and whether other systems weakened interest in hospital affairs. In this country they were not dependent upon voluntary contributions. Finance here was assured, for boards had -ways of financing themselves if in difficulties. They did not have the spectacle in New Zealand of notices across the walls that certain wards were closed for want of finance and appealing for voluntary contributions. They recognised the value of philanthropic contributions by making provision up to £50,000 for a subsidy of £ for £ upon such contributions, so sympathetic interest was not likely to diminish, and those who gave had the satisfaction of knowing not only that they had relieved the local rates to that amount, but that the sum was covered by a similar amount from the general taxpayer. Mr. Young referred to the institutions for women at Otaki and for men at Pukeora tor tuberculosis treatment, which were administered by the Government, and the excellent provision made by the Canterbury Hospital Board and in Otago. They were not hos-. pitals in the ordinary sense for chronic patients, but places' of treatment and instruction for those who had the disease—but not too far advanced. Prevention Better Than Cure. The greatest service was not in the cure but in taking such measures as would prevent the spread of the disease. Hospital boards were asked to accept charge of chronic cases. While they were doing much for consumptives in this country—and much more could be done —he was assured by ex-

perts that nowhere in the world were there more beds per capita for the treatment of t.b. patients than in New Zealand. The incidence in New Zealand was by no means the highest in the world, and they would leave no stone unturned for the benefit of the sick and suffering. In regard to the mental hospitals, he took His Excellency’s remarks to refer to patients who were not chronic but possibly curable. If not taken in the early stage there was not much prospect of making a permanent cure, said the Minister. He invited anyone to visit the institutions in the main centres, where, reception villas had been made and where patients were brought in and not sent to the main institution at all. They received kind and sympathetic treatment, and it was like being in a first-class sanatorium or boardinghouse. They were kept there a few days or a few months, treated by nature herself with fresh air, sunshine and beautiful surroundings. He would like to assure the public that so far as the mental hospitals were concerned everything was right there, and he would afford anyone every opportunity of seeing what was taking place in them.