The Globe. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1879.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1553, 10 February 1879, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1879.

At the last meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board a letter was road from a patient in the Hospital. Stating that she was likely to be a permanent burden to the Hospital, unless she were sent to Auckland, whore it was said she would recover, and she asked the Board to pay her passage thither. Tho house surgeon stated that he was of opinion that, if tho woman wore sent to Auckland, she would recover, and he also mentioned another case whore tho same result would follow a change of climate. It appeared, however, that tho Auckland Hospital authorities declined to receive tho patient, who had written the application, into their institution. It appears to us that this is not as it should ho. Setting aside, for an instant, the financial aspect of tho question, we find a poor woman afflicted with a painful and, what would be, if she remained in Christchurch, a chronic complaint chronic bronchitis wo believe it was in this case. Those best qualified to pass judgment state that, unless she is removed her case is, to all intents and purposes, hopeless; that she will, for the remainder of her days, not only bo a permanent tax on the resources of our Hospital, but will continue to bo a constant invalid, that is to say, will continue to be in constant pain. All that is required for her is a change of climate, A warmer and more gonial atmosphere would completely cure her, would restore her to health and happiness. A short sojourn in the Auckland Hospital is all that is needed, and yet so miserable are the Hospital arrangements of this country that this simple matter cannot bo effected. A fact like this speaks volumes against the happy-go-lucky manner in which the present Government have chosen to leave what they are pleased to consider a mere secondary question. Sir George Grey, the champion of humanity at large, roves the country and dives into the distant past to find harrowing pictures wherewith to parallel tho utler selfishness which, apparently, ho considers to characterise all but his own immediate following, and yet such is tho apathy of his Government in a really practical humanitarian question —in such a state of muddle are the Hospital arrangements all over tho country loft, that the simple removal of a patient from one hospital to another for, one may almost say, the sake of saving her life, is found to be impracticable. So much for the humanitarian side of this case. Looked at in a financial point of view, the matter is no whit more satisfactory. Wore tho patient to remain in Christchurch there would result a permanent drain on her behalf from the pockets of taxpayers. Apparently there ■was no hope of hor recovering hero, and consequently, as long as she lived, so long would tho taxpayers be compelled to maintain her. Remove hor to Auckland and she recovers. The cost of her passage and her expenses in the Northern Hospital for a short period once paid, and she no longer becomes a burden on the country. Who can for an instant doubt as to which is the least inexpensive course to pursue. Wo are not discussing hero the question as to whether tho funds for the support of hospitals should be taken out of tho Consolidated Fund or whether from other sources, neither are wo discussing whether hospital management should he left to a purely local body, or a nominated Board, or a mixed Board, but wo wish to point out the practical effect of this question having boon negligently treated by a Government which seems not to care twopence about it. There has boon no pains taken to establish any general system. “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” has been the Governmental motto, consequently the evil is becoming considerably more than sufficient for the day. If a strong hand in tho Government had taken the matter in hand such a case as wo have quoted could not have occurred. Some sort of arrangement might have easily boon come to between the various institutions all over the country, by which patients in one district might reap tho benefit of tho climate of another district without saddling the inhabitants of the latter in any way with an expense for people who wore iu no way connected with them. The whole affair, looked at properly, is one of more departmental routine, and all that is wanted is that some one of tho Government should be, wo may fairly say, humane enough to look into the question, and not leave this system existing in this place and that in that place, while all the time the unfortunate are suffering simply because some proper organism is not introduced. This is no question of secondary importance —it should bo taken up by the people’s government, and treated sympathetically, or tho people have every right to complain that tho interests of their poor and sick are neglected. Another question, which is at present “ hung up,” because there exists no system to work on, is that of the establishment of sanitoriums. Patients are constantly taken in at tho Hospital iu whoso cases a breath of sea air would ho of infinitely more value than buckets of medicine. Two or three cottages at such places at Sumner or Brighton would not prove an expensive adjunct to ho Christ-

church Hospital, the staff employed would he very small, and the value of the good done would far exceed the expense incurred. Indeed wo are convinced that the establishment of such sanatoriums would prove ultimately a groat saving. But, saving or not, it is to he feared that our sick will have to wait some time before they can satisfy their craving for the sea breezes. No one seems inclined to move perhaps, indeed, cannot move — in the matter in the present state of affairs. It is another example of the unsatisfactory state in which the whole question has boon left.