OTAKI HOSPITAL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 58, 6 September 1926, Page 11

OTAKI HOSPITAL

(To tht Editor.)

Sir, —Mr. Hornblow's recent letter setting out the reason why the Otaki Hos- | pital should be closed seems to indicate that he has not given the matter such careful consideration as we are ■ entitled to expect from a man experienced in public affairs. Sir James Wilson frankly admitted that the Palmerston North Hospital Board had intentionally starved the Otaki Hospital with a view to ultimately closing it, and that for some time past, on the board's express instructions, all cases from this district, except most. urgent ones, were sent direct to Palmerston Hospital^ When subsequently, Sir James Wilson, in the face of his own statement of policy, but no doubt in a, moment of forgetfulness, stated that the reason for wishing to close the Otaki Hospital was that by far the greater proportion of Otaki patients of their own accord went to Palmerston Hospital, we smiled indulgently, because after all Sir James Wilson has in the past rendered excellent services, to the Palmerston North Hospital. ■ But when Mr. Hornblow now asserts the vr;ry same reason for closing our hospital, and he actually quotes figures to support his contention, it is quite time to tell him that his assertion is very silly. Recently one of our prominent residents living next to the Otaki Hospital suffered a most painful accident, but. which could have been treated by any efficient hospital, was refused admission to the Otaki Hospital and sent to the Palmerston North Hospitalmuch against his will. Also in reply to the Minister of Health the Superintendent at Palmerston North stated that this was a proper case to be sent direct to Palmerston; but using Mr. Hornblow's own figures, this would be to him another case of a patient preferring Palmerston Hospital. We ask Mr. Hornblow to be quite frank with us, and admit the true position. The Palmerston North flospital Board derives an annual revenue, including a Government subsidy, of £7000 from the Horowhenua district, and the Palmerston North Board's sole reason for closing the Otaki Hospital is to make the whole of this sum of £7000 available for Palmerston Hospital. This certainly would be a very gratifying result to everyone outside this district, and explains the opposition of Foxton and other districts to our ef-, forts to keep the Otaki Hospital open. But this policy is obviously unfair to the inhabitants of this district, and we are quite unanimous in our intention to oppose it. A recent deputation from this district to the Minister comprised, inter alia, the Mayor of Levin, the Mayor of Otaki, the chairman of the Hoiwhenua County Council, and the ex-chairman of the Hutt County Council, and other representative citizens from Levin right evidence of tho wishes of tho inhabitants evidence o fthe wishes of the inhabitants of this district to keep the hospital open. I say, in conclusion, that if democratic institutions prevail in New Zealand, and I still believe they do, despite the autocratic 'conduct of the Palmerston North Hospital Board, that the inhabitants of this district who contribute the greater proportion of the hospital rate are the proper persons to say what is to be done with the Otaki Hospital. If, in spite of this, the hospital is closed, then it is our intention immediately to petition for the setting up of a separate Hospital District for the purposes of re-establishing the Otaki Hospital and making it an up-to-date and serviceable institution.—l am, etc., CHARLES F. ATMOR-E. Otaki, 3rd September.