'Sick and Tired of It'

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 4, 20 January 1937, Page 7

'Sick and Tired of It'

CHAIRMAN'S PLAINT Park Island Dispute Again Aired DEPARTMENT'S VIEW An eeho of a dispute towards the end of last year between the ehairman of the Hawke's Bay Hospital Boai'd, Mr C. Lassen, and the ehairman of the Parlc Island Joint Committee, Mr A. E. Bedford, regarding the eontrol of admiesiong to an Old People 's Home iu MeDonald etreet, Napier, managed by Mr G. Blennerhassett, was heard in the meeting-foom of the Park Island Joint Committee this morning. Messrs Lassen and Bedford again debated the point as to whether the ehairman of the committee, as well as the secretary, had a say in the admissions of in» mat.es, The discussion arose after a letter had been read from the Health Department expressing the opinion that it was inadvisable for Old PeopleJs Homes to arrange for independent admissions without reference to the Joint Committee. The secretary read a letter he had written to the Direotor-Getteral of Health and also the Director-General 's reply. "This committee passed a xesolution, whieh to my knowledge has never been reseinded, to the effect that the placing of inmatea in the homes should be left in the hands of the secretary and ehairman, subject to the approval of the committee," said Mr Bedford when the two letters were being diseussed. "It'is for you to say whether the secretary was right in what he did recently.'* MTNUTES v. BY-LAWS. Mr Lassen: I don't want to go through all this again. But I want to say this; I raised the question before that the minutes of this committee cannot over-fride the by-laws, which stipulate that only the secretary can make admissions, and not the ehairman. ■ Ur Bedford: These by-laws are not in order, beeause they have. never been approved by the Department of Health; nor are they dated. Mr Lassen: I'm surprised to hear you say thatl You've been the ehairman of s this committee for several years and yet you Say that the by-laws are not in order, beeause they have never been approved by the .department. Mr Bedford: I've drawn attention to the fact. Eurther, if" this resolution had been carried out we'd never hkve had that trouble with the man1 at the MeDonald street Home (Napier). Well, the matter is in your hands, gentlemen. I'm sick and tired of it all. "I've been on this committee for 19 years and have always been under the impression that all admissions to. Park Island homes had to be ratified by the ehairman and secretary;. also, that neither one had power to admit a patieint without the consent of 'the other," s|,id Mr W. H. Eathbone, who is ehairman of the Waipawa' Hospital Board. "It is only right that the ehairman, as head of this committee, . should have some say in the matter. But I don't see the sense in wasting much time on this to-day, as the agreement (between the Hawke's Bay, Dannevirke and Waipawa Hospital. Boards relating to the eontrol of the Old People 's Homes) expires shortly." NEW AGREEMENT. "1 say that 'the Hawke's Bay Hospital Board can still send patients to th© liomes .Without the consent of the committee, beeause there is no agreement," said Mr Lassen. "I could go and bdard at one myself and you couldn't stop ino. I think there ought to be 'a he.w arrangement so that the homes could not admit any cases except Park Island Committee patients, T'hen the matter would solve itself." Mr L. Stein: If you are going to carry on with this committee, * then carry On Rke men and not lik© a lot of children. I move we get on with the next business. Mr Rathbone. As i'ar as the Waipawa Board is eoncerned, we have an open mind on the question of a renewal of the agreement. Mr Stein: My board (Dannevirke Hospital Board) is of the opinion that the committee should stay as it is, but" it thinks that a round-table conference might be held to discuss the matter. The discussion ended when, o'ti the motlon of Mr Bedford, Dr. Sho.v .» [etfcer was received.