HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 March 1910, Page 2

HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT.

THE OTAKJ. INSTITUTION DISCUSSED. Discussion took place at yesteri;i.v's_ meeting of the Wellington .District Hospital Hoard eonceri'ii'iig the Olaki liospital and Sanatorium. Yesterday's meeting was the '.:.<•:[ -one to be held by the retiring board. In the oonr.se of yome vnlelictory remarks, the chafrnian, Ab' I. P. Luke, remarked that statements had been made by responsible people crMieismg the board, it was only fair that the oilier side be put before the public Mi- rr'icitti.'d the old system was not tho boat possible one of man-•ig-.'inent. Personally, lie had alwnys eiidei'.vnured to" work in the direction of the svstem established ■>y the new Bill, wliicli lie had supported tlirougJiout its career. Though the new boird had been r>h'cte;l by ;> very meagre p-.11 1v «as glad to .see that the individual members were all gentlemen \\-]ihad been connei'foi n-ie v".v <i; anotber with the public life of tils' VniiiYhn. U ivn:; a liiattei , of congratulation that, mnn of sucli ripe experience should be found ready tr "iiri-y out with c. , . ;t ::;,[■:: ;.ss 'the work devolving upon them. The new system would tend to improvement in management and the r'h<"i])t"ii'irr <>f administration. Th:> sy.stem oi tii.ided control hadiiiever been entirely satisfactory either t" ihe separate hnar-ls or to the general public. The hospitals ;md the {■haritabli) .niljiiiiiioh'aiioi; wonl:: •"•.w I>> un'ler cne I ;i:;r;l in the future—the very T>est system possible for the dominion. OTAKI HOSPTTAL. ~SU- Luke next entered into a review of hospital wor!', v.vA :i comnarison of the Otaki Hos])it:il with other hospitals of a similar size Mid '•'■op: , . Tbo hrsp-'talr coirpTretl were: Hawern. Dannevirke, Picton. and Otaki. The average- number of patients to cw't nurse was— Hawera, 1.8; Dannevirke, 2; Picton, 1.8; Otaki, 2.7. The percentage of cost of administration on the total mnintonanco expenditure was—Hawern. 15; Dnmnevirke. 6: Picton, G. 4; Otnki. 3.4. "I must add again," said Mr Luke, "that so far as Otaki is conernced, not only has the nursing staff a greater number of patients per he'vl, but that the cost is enn-'■•id'M-ablv less than in other hospitals." A TiEVIN REST-DENT'S REPLY. Mr 13. .11. Gardener followed, with a personal explanation of certain statements attributed to him as criticising very severely the management of the Hospital and Sanatorium. What remarks he had made were of a general nature, and not aimed at particular individuals. • did not think, however, that the power of nurses and doctors was altogether too great in the hospitals of the dominion. A great deal more information as to the working of tho Sanatorium should be given to the board by the Health Department. He submitted it was high time tli-nt a resident medical officer should be appointed, alleging that patients were allowed to get their discharges and go to their homes and spread the disease. Hnd a. single cure been really effected at the Sanatorium since the place opened? The Sanatorium should be a national institution, he urged, nnrl smaller hospital boards should be debarred from building sanatoria, ns annexes to their hospitals. He thought these were among ,the first matters that should come before the ne\7 hoard,