The Guardian And Evening Star, with winch is in corporated the West Coast Times TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1932. HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 March 1932, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with winch is in corporated the West Coast Times TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1932. HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION.

Ihehe is a good deal of discussion particularly in the North Island, with respect to Dr. Begg’s report suggesting a degree of wnolesale reform in hospital administration, the effect of j which would be to adopt a system of .strict centralisation. .'There' lias not been so much comment in the South island,, but uthe, .proposal isv to take shape at all, the South will be involved equahy with the North in the centralisation scheme. Dr. Begg claims that there will be both economy and efficiency in his scheme. The economy would result in. all small and many secondary hospitals being closed, and hospital work left to the main central institutions, The efficiency would follow from a concentration op equipment and staffing, and the building up of hospitals where specialist® would be installed also, But the secondary institutions in the North Island, such as Palmerston North, Wanganui and New Plymouth for example, are not enamoured of the scheme, and have entered their protest accordingly. The terms “ecomony” and “efficiency” appear to be doing overtime ju use of late, but it is one thing to set out on an economical scheme, and another to bring it to pass. The Government has been “economising” for a year with the best intentions of pulling the country through its financial difficulties, but the failure is apparent when we read that there is to be a national debit this year of about three millions. As to the “efficiency” side of the economy, unemployment is being added to, and generally the outlook lor an early return to prosperity is not more hopeful than it was a. year ago, despite all that has been attempted with economies. These large schemes are not brought quickly into useful operation, and so great a scheme as Dr. Begg propose® would take a long time to function adequately, and could not satisfy the public as well as conditions do to-day. The hospital system is under democratic control, so far as electing the administration side is concerned. This is so because the ratepayers are contributors of roughly one half of the cost. The other half i® found by the Government., which through the Health Department has a very considerable say in the internal economy of a hospital. Unless the Government is prepared to take over the whole cost of the hospitals, the public us a whole will no|, lie prepared to ®n orifice well run institutions in the country districts and 'secondary cities, for the doubtful benefits of <.enirnlisation. Under Dr. Ilegg’s proposal the institutions would become impersonal macI'incy and the change would be far removed from the day when the pioneers set about the creation or their hospital.'. In that view mono the value of the institution would fall in the public estin nlinn. It has been Hu l experience that from the earliest times, I lie pioneer® took a very priel'iea.l, not to ray interest in the welfare of the public Itospjlal, The change proposed ny Dr. Begg would kill that, spirit, and that loss nf sentiment would he a loss to the instiiuliunal value o( the hospitals. While the’ public pay they have the right 1.0 reasonable considerations regarding hospital centres, and

we are sure any attempt to disclose the present system will be objected to very generally if local centres are to suffer.

In regard to the matter mentioned above,' if we were to take a local view and speculate on the closing of the Westland Hospital, as part of the suggested centralisation system, it would not be difficult to anticipate the objection which would he raised publicly. The local institution in one of which the people have been proud ever since the very early days when t lie diggers raised so much money to establish the first hospital at South Hokitika, gtnd in later years were equally generous in their contributions to transfer the hospital to the very admirable site now occupied. Right down through the decades there is the record of the unselfish work done to maintain the hospital a credit to the district. We sep to day something oi that spirit in the long service of trie Chairman of the local Board, whose services are to have some tangible recognition, and also in the invaluable work performed by a Member of the Board who has been the unofficial manager' of the outside part of the institution for - a very long time. There have been many willing workers and servers to maintain the efficiency of the institution, which has been further popularised in that respect by the long line of medical men who nave rendered very faithful service to the hospital and the community. We are sure, therefore, that any movement to close the hospital here for the alleged reason of “economy and efficiency,” would not be acceptable. The local hospital has been well managed ns the records show. There has been no charge of waste or inefficiency. It has been the means of discharging a noble work, and the public will bo content that it should so continue.