NAPIER INSTITUTION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 117, 3 June 1937, Page 6

NAPIER INSTITUTION

Agenda Covers A1I Aspects of Administration MR. MOSLEY PRESIDING A Eoyal Commission will begin a full inquiry into the management Public Hospital at the Supreme «ad administration of the Napier Cotirt, Napier, on Monday week. Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., of Wellington, wffl preside. The work of the commission is expected to last for some days, and the order of refereace covers all aspects of administration of the hospital. The settingup of the commission follows represeotations from seveial quarters to the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. Fraser. The personnel of the commission, which is to he ga#etted this week, is as follows: — Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., principal •tipendiary magistrate at Wellington. Sir James Elliott, medical praetition«r, of Wellington. Miss Ceeilia McKenny, one-time matron of the Wanganui Hospital. Some time ago, the Hawke's Bay Hospital Board held an inquiry into the control of the hospital and an outhreak tof an infectious disease in Shrimpton Ward, and copies of the voluminons evidence gathered 'were submitted to £he Minister to help him to . decide whether an dnvestigation was desirable. A epecial meeting of the hoard "will be called "by the chairman, Mr C. Xassen, to mahe the preparations mecessaTy for the inquiry.

The order of reference for the Commission 's investigations, as set out by the Director-General of Health, Dr. H. -M. Watt, is as follows: — "1. Generally the circumstances in. Which between May and October, 1936, eertain children, being patients in tne Shrimpton WaTd of the Napier Hospital contracted tho disease known as vulvovaginitis xesulting from infection; and all "matters Televant to tho discovery, control and treatment of the disease in these patients and in particular: — "(a) The source of infection in each ea.se. ; "(h) The measures taken to guard kgainst the inadvertent introduction of jthe .disease into the hospital. "(c) Tho measures taken to prevent the spread of infection in tlie hospital. ' "(a) The care and treatment of the .affected patients in the hospital; and in ;particular whether in each case such ^treatment was in accordance with ihe jinstrnctions of .the medical practitioner jin attendance on the patient. "(e) The notiflcation by the anthorities of the hospital to the parents of the children concerned of the fact that ■ the disease had been contracted. '"(f) The steps taken to acquaint the patents with the nature of and any dangers attached to the treatment proposed to .be given to patients and to obtain ■the parents' prior consent thereto. "(g) The immediate and contributory icanses of the death of one of the jaffected patients. "(h) The measures thafc have since (been adopted to guard against the unItoward xecurrence of the disease in the ihospitaL Treatment of Patients. "2. Tho circumstances surrounding the admission to the hospital on ApriJ 29, 1937, and the treatment thereafter .of the son of Mr. P. W. Berry, Puketapu.

"3. The on Mr. S. J, Montgomery, was, prior to examination to X-ray, given an injection of a chemical preparation known aa neohydriol and suffered untoward effects from such injection. "4. The circumstances in which X-Tay films taken in October, 1935, of Mr. R. Rells, at the time a patient of the hospital, could not when required subsequently. be produced for reference, and generally the methods of recording, i handling, storing, caring for and .making available for referehce X-ray .films, the property of the board. Health of Nurses. "5. The measures taken to detect .symptoms of ill-health among nurses j (ineluding pupil nurses) on the hospital ■staff and to care for those showing such 'symptoms, to regulate hours and days of duty of nurses and generally to proteot the health of nurses. "6, Whether any action of any jmember of the ataff (ineluding the jhonorary medical staff) of the hospital ' or of any member of the Hospital Board has been or is detrimental to the discipline or effective co-operation of the nursing staff and generally the organisation, control and supervision of the medical and nursing staff of the hospital and the carrying out of their duties. "7. The organisation, control and supervision of the training of nurses at the hospital. "8. Generally any matters related to the management and. administration of the said hospital, arising out of any of the aforesaid particular matters. "