“CANNOT CONTINUE”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20065, 11 October 1939, Page 4

“CANNOT CONTINUE”

UNDESIRABLE CONDITION' MATERNITY FACILITIES POSITION IN WAIROA . (Special In the Hnnilil.) WAIROA, this day. “It will be obvious to your board that this undesirable condition for women of Wairoa cannot be permitted to continue.” This remark was used by the Director-General of Health, Dr. M. H. Watt, in a letter to the Wairoa Hospital Board in coni nection with the maternity facilities in the district, and which came before the board at its monthly meeting yesterday. The director-general stated that it appeared that the facilities for affording maternity services for which the Social Secu” : ty Act provided payment were proving insufficient for the board’s district ancl were likely to become more so. The position last year was that with all services working at full capacity, the work was barely kept in hand. The figures for the past -five months of this year indicated a definite trend towards hospitalisation. The figures for Wairoa’s maternity home, added the writer, showed a yearly rate of 137—a bed delivery rate of 27-1 per annum. A reasonable admission of patients for delivery a bed per annum in any maternity hospital was estimated to be 18. If over 20 a bed were admitted, undesirable and even dangerous overcrowding was at times unavoidable unless patients were' discharged so soon after delivery that adequate and efficient attention was not afforded. The admissions to this home of 27 a bed per annum were only made possible by reducing the attendance below the period following delivery that was satisfactory and which was provided ‘by the Social Security Act and regulations, namely 14 days following child birth. New Hospital Suggested It would be obvious to the board that this undesirable condition for the women of Wairoa could not be permitted to continue. As the board was now definitely committed to the continued occupation for some years of the present site for the general hospital, and as there was no room on it for a maternity block, it appeared that a suitable site of about half to one acre within the town area should be selected and a 10 to 14-bed hospital erected. A 10-bed hospital and the four to six beds in the present home would make provision for approximately 250 patients per annum. If the present home ceased to function the number of beds provided would have to be increased and this should be allowed for when planning the hospital. 'Dr Watt concluded by asking the board to consider the, question an urgent one. It was pointed out by the secretary, Mr. R. A. Peez, that a point that had been overlooked and one that must be taken into consideration was that there were very few Maoris who would stay in hospital 14 days after child birth. “The letter almost demands; that Wairoa gets to work, and it is asking a big thing at this time,” stated Mr. H. R. Phillips. Mr. T. W. G Tombleson said that if the board had to erect a 10 or 14-bed maternity hospital the present home •naturally would go out of operation. improvements to Present Home The chairman,' Mr. J. M. Taylor, suggested that it might ibe worth while asking the Department of Health to again- inspect the present home with a view to the board making improvements. “It is an £BOOO job no matter how you look at it,” he added. The view that eight additional beds would serve Wairoa’s needs for some time was expressed by the secretary. Mr. C. V. Chamberlain stated that £IO,OOO was a big expenditure to put to the ratepayers. He asked, what were the difficulties at present; what was the trouble, and what were the complaints—purely academic. In the opinion of the secretary hospitalisation of patients seemed to be the practice nowadays! Professional advice was the cry. “There is no doubt about it, it is a very difficult question,” said the chairman. In reply to a question by Mr. Chamberlain, the secretary said" the district nurses had had instructions to act only in cases of emergency. Mr. Chamberlain said he would like the whole position affecting both Europeans and Maoris analysed, so that the board could go into the position. On the motion of the chairman, it was decided that a committee consisting of Messrs. Chamberlain, H. M. B. deLautour, the secretary and the chairman should confer with the medical superintendent to discuss the position with the object of framing a suitable reply.