HOSPITAL INQUIRY FINISHED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 81, 22 April 1937, Page 6

HOSPITAL INQUIRY FINISHED

Dr. Berry's & Other Evidence Heard IN MINISTER'S HANDS One hundred-and-seventy typed pag.es of foolscap were required to record all the evidence eought by the special committee of the Hawke's Bay Hospital Board in relation to the^ inquiry into the outbreak of infectious disease in Shrimpton Ward, at the Napier Hospital, and the administration of the . institution generally. The committee, which held its first meeting in December, 1936, concluded its work last evening, when tho medical superintefident, Dr. J. J- Foley, gave evidence and a sister was recalledDr, J. Allan Berry, a ipeniber of tho Napier honorary medical staff, gave evidence relating to the administration of the Napier Hospital when ihe committee met last Monday. The Hospital Board will now forward the comiplete record of the evidence to the Minister' of Health, the Hon. P« Fraser, and it will be for his' department to make the next move in regard to the holding of a magisterial inquiry, if such' is thpiight advisable. :Arising out of this inquiry of the special committee of the Hospital Board was a prolonged dispute' among board members, the highlights of which were:— (a) The board requested and obtained the resignation of Sister Wood, who fvas in charge of Shrimpton Ward, which is the children's ward where ihe ofitbreak of disease occurred. ; (b) The chairman, Mr C. Laeeen, moved a motion which requested tho resignation of Dr. Berry from the honorary medical staff. Because those in favour . did not number three-fourtha of the board members, as required by the by-laws the motion was declared lost, and Dr. Berry still remainp a member of the honorary staff. The gjrbunds given for Mr Lassen's motion. were that Dr. Berry . had declined to give evidence before the committee of inquiry in the earlier stages of the proceediugs. • (c) Dr. Berry demanded that the facts surrounding the dismissal of Sister Wood be made public. The board was not in favour of this, and inuch heated debate resulted at board meetings. a . (d) Then the general public, as represented by various organisations, including the Napier Borough Couneil, expressed themselves to be - in . favour of a mioisterial inquiry. The Minister of Health expressed the view that if an inquiry is wanted, it should be a magisterial one and not a ministeria! one. . . ' . Nothing. definite has yet been decided regarding a magisterial inquiry, however. But meanwhile, the board'a spepial committee has completed its investigations, and a very comprehensive record of the evidence will be placed before the Minister of Health for his perusal.