NAPIER HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3745, 17 July 1883, Page 2

NAPIER HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.

A special meeting of the above was held at the Hospital last afternoon to investigate certain alleged charges made against the Surgeon-Superintendent in a letter published in a morning ppaper.

The following were present:—Messrs E. W. Knowles (chairman), S. Carnell, W. A Couper, G. E. Lee, M. R. Miller, and H, Williams.

A letter was read from Dr Spencer regretting that other engagements prevented his attendance, and asking the chairman what was meant by " charges " against Dr Menzios. He had made no "chargos" that lie was aware of.

The Chairman said ho had written to the secretary requesting him to report on the admission and treatment of Lynch, and the mode of treatment of pationta in the hos« pital, the death rate, &c. .

In his reply the secretary emphatically denied that any difference existed in the treatment of paying and non • payingpatients, except that the former were allowed the use of tho small privato ward (when it was not required otherwise) for a fee of £3 3s per week. Of 188 patients passing through the hospital during the last six months only 21 paid ; '.while out of 216 out-patients treated during tho same period none paid, fees being again and again refused. Tho death rate for last month was 73 per 1000, being 12 per 1000 less than the average death rate of the whole of the hospitals in the colony during the year 1882. With respect to the man Lynch, ho received tho greateit possible care and attention while in tho hospital, notwithstanding that he conducted himself in a most outrageous fashion, and was filthy and indecent in his habits. On the day before he was to be discharged as cured he stole down town and was the next morning committed to gaol for vagrancy and theft.

Tho Chairman remarked that at tho last meeting of Committee nothing had been said that could possibly be construed into a reflection on Dr. Spencer.

Mr Carnell, Mr Miller, and Mr Williams concurred. The reference to Lynch was not intended to apply to Dr. Spencer at all.

A letter was then read from Dr. Menziej. After dealing with Lynch's case as above, and tho number of poor and indigent patients treated in tho institution, it weut on to show that the death rate at the hospital for the last six months, the period to which, apparently, Dr. Spencer'a remarks applied, was about 8 percent., or 80per 1000 (instead of, as Dr. Spencer said, 130), and if the necessarily fatal cases were subtracted (which could bo legitimately done) it fell to 4 per cent. Equally unwarrantable was tho charge of neglected drains, tho full particulars respecting -which wore laid beforo tho Committee. Dr. Menzies concluded by saying that this explanation was giren solely in the interests of the hospital, and to ward off any false impressions that Dr. Spencer's letter might have sent abroad. The Secretary read a list of tho patients dying in tho hospital during , tho last six months. The number was fifteen. .Three wcro residents of Napier, two were taken from the Old Men's and Women's Refuge, two were from Mohaka, one from Paki Paid, two from Hastings, two from Clive, one from Rissington, one from Patoka, and one from Wellington. Of the fifteen, eight wore admitted in a dying, state, their recovery being from tho first hopoless. Dr. Menzies was called and distinctly denied that there was any grounds to justify such a statement or inference as that patients had at any time been refused admission to the hospital, or that fees woro received by himself or others of the staff. Evidence having been taken as to Lyneh's conduct, &c, while under treatment, the following resolution was unanimously adopted by the Committee:—"That, Having hoard the evidence of Dr. Menzies, Mjns Kobelt, Col. White, Mr M'Carthy, and Mr Maun, with reference to insinuations contained in Dr. Spencer's letter to the Herald of tho 11th July, this committee is satisfied that such insinuations are groundless, and tho letter mischievous and entirely unwarranted ; ami the committee is further of opinion that it would have boon better had Dr. Spencor attended this meeting, ho having received duo notice." The committee then adjourned.