Hospital Dispute

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 35, 25 February 1937, Page 4

Hospital Dispute

ANOTHER FROTESI

^Mjserable Tactics," Says Napier Organisation TALK 0F 'VENDETTA" Disapproval of the attitude adopted by the Hawke 's Bay Hospital Board towards Dr, J. Allan Berry, whose resignation from the Napier Hospital honorary staff has been requested, is voiced by a Napier organisation which has at heart the interests of school children in the town and nearby distriets. In a letter written to the Mayor of Napier, Mr C. O. Morse, who is also a member of the Hospital Board, the chairman of the organisation protests against Dr. Berry 's being asked to resign, on the grounds that, if he severs his connbction with the Napier Hospital, many of Napier 's poor citizens who cannot afford to pay large medical fees will be deprived of the services of a akilled surgeon. The letter also protests against the Hospital Board 's alleged mistreatment of the other two Napier members, Messrs Morse and A. E. Bedford, and euggests that the present state of aft'air^ warrants a Ministerial inquiry. "We desire to record our emphatic protest in the name of common humanity against the actions of a section of the present Hospital Board towards the three members listed abov© and especially towards Dr. Berry," states the letter. "The fact that Dr. Berry is standing to his guns, coupled with the apparent fact that he is being supported by the two other members, would make it appear that Star Ghamber methods were the reverse of necessary when his resignation was requested. The Hospital Board ia a public body and business of tffe kind referred. to is the public's business and should have been publicly treated. "Th© suggestion behind the methods used conveys the impression that an endeavour was being made to let the doctor down ligihtly over some nasty business. This cannot be the case in the light of present circumstances, and it represents miserable tactics on the part of those concerned towards a formidable and outspoken opponent to create a suggestion that could do irreparable damage to a professional man before it was checked or exposed as being without foundation„ " There is another reason fo) protest as regards tffe doctor, anu is in the interests of many of our own poorer citizens who reqnire, or may require, th© acknowledged capable services of Dr. Berry at the hospital. If the doctor was forced out they would be unable to obtain his •„ services f oi; fmancial reasons, and it is well known that much of the benefit to a p&tient results from the patient's faith in the doctor. "The persistent mistreatment of the other two members (Messrs. Morse and Bedford) as well as the doctor leads us to the conelusion that a vendetta is being worked, regardless of the interests of the sick and suffering; and if this is so it is a very callous proce-; dure. "In conelusion, we would suggest that the position appears to warrant a ministerial inquiry in the interests of the general public." Mr. Morse would make no comment this morning on the contenta of this letter; nor would he divulge the name of the organisation.