PAEROA HOSPITAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4937, 10 February 1926, Page 2

PAEROA HOSPITAL.

DISCUSSION BY THAMES BOARD.

NO FINALITY REACHED.

The question of proceeding with the erection of .the Paeroa hospital was further discussed at length by members of the Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Board at a meeting on Monday.

The subject was introduced by a communication from the DirectorGeneral of Health stating .that he would visit Thames as soon as possible and confer with members of the board with regard to the proposed maternity hospital at Paeroa, and also the question of amalgamation of the Waihi and Thames hospital districts.

The Thames Borough Council forwarded .the following resolution.

“Thdt this council views with alarm the proposal before the Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Board to erect a maternity hospital at Paeroa in brick, or, in fact, the erection of any institution at the present juncture, as it is of opinion that such is not really needed and would result in great loss, imposing an undue burden upon the ratepayers of the Thames Borough in common with other parts of the hospital district. This, view is emphasised by the comparatively small use made of. the Thames maternity annexe (w’hich is open to all prospective mothers within the hospital district) and the annually recurring loss in similar conditions in other placesi, notably Auckland, and, furthermore, that the borough representatives be urged to oppose the proposal, and to place all the facts, pro and con, before the In-spector-General on the occasion of his visit to Thames, with a view to having the need or otherwise of the proposed Paeroa hospital fully inquired into before any expenditure is incurred.

“That a copy of the foregoing be sent to the Hon. Minister for Health, the Insp'ector-Generali of Hospitals, and the borough representatives on the Thames board.”

The chairman (Mr W. E. Hale) reported that the Director-General had not yet advised the board of the date on which he would visit Thames.

Mr W. C. Kennedy said that he could not understand the attitude of the Thames Borough Council in opposing the erection of the building. He well remembered some years ago the Thames people pledging themselves to give Paeroa a hospital. It appeared now as if parochialism had crept in, and that was the cause of Thames, quibbling over .the matter. He hoped the board would not be influenced, but would push on and erect the building in brick. The Thames people had argifed that the building would outlive its usefulness and would be pulled down in time. The suggestion was absurd. He believed that Thames was frightened that Paeroa'would, in due time, become the central hospital. It wast too. late to start quibbling over such an eventuality. Supposing the building did cost about £lO,OOO, Thames district would only have to find about £3OOO of that sum. He contended that’ if no price had ever been made public the lowest tender would have been accepted and the building would now have been well under way. The Thames borough had raised no, serious objection to the board borrowing money to build a steam laundry and isolation block because the buildings were going to be erected at Thames - . Because Paeroa was .to have a small hospital there had ’been a hue and cry immediately. The chairman pointed out that little could be done until after the visit of Dr. Valintjine.

Mr A. R. Robinson said that the attitude of. the Thames people reminded him of Rip Van Winkle. They had just awakened. Hei was, of the decided opinion that Thames had taken a very parochial view of the matter. He reminded the members that year's ago. he had been asked by the Ohinemuri County Council to report on the question of financing the cost of erecting a new nurses’ home, and he had had no hesitation in recommending it# erection. It was most unfair of the Thames Borough Council to pass such a resolution. He. reminded the chairman that the people of Ohinemuri had been* contributing to the maintenance of .the Thames Hospital ungrudgingly for very many years, and it was reasonable now ,tb expect that the Thames people would in turn assist Paeroa. He would appeal to the board, as fair-minded men, not to delay the matter any longer; if for no other reason, then out of consideration for what Paeroa and the Ohinemuri County had done for the Thames board. If the erection was further delayed the board would not be acting fairly. Mr J. Rowe pointed out that the Thame# Borough Council had not objected ,to the Paeroa hospital in the first instance, and he would always record his vote in favour of Paeroa getting its maternity and casualty hospital, because the building had been promised, and there was no getting away from it. Mr P. E. Brenan intimated that he did not propose to comment at length on the action of the Thames Borough Council. The board, he said was foolishly quibbling when it maintained that a wobden building would be more advantageous than a brick one. Apparently some of the members did not realise .that it was rather late in the day to object when the Minister had given his consent to the building being erected in brick. It was too bad of the board to hold the matter up any longer, it had been under discussion since Auugst last, and yet a start had not been made. The delay would surely result in losing a very advantageous tender.

Mr Brenan then moved the following resolution, which was seconded by Mr Kennedy:— “That the Thames Borough Council be informed that the proposal to erect a maternity and casualty hospital at Paeroa was arrived at after mature 'consideration by the board and the Health Department, and the board regrets that it cannot see its way to

depart from its intention to erect t&® proposed hospital at Paeroa.” The resolution immediately brought Mr J. W. Danby to his feet, and he. moved, as - an amendment, to the effect that the whole matter be held up pending the visit to Thames of the Director-General. Continuing, he said that he was not concerned with the Thames Borough Council, or the remarks of its deputy-Mayor. In his opinion, had the deputy-Mayor known more he would have spoken less. Mr Danby maintained that the board was quite entitled to change its opinion. The Thames Council had arrived at a decision that there would be an unjustifiable deficit in the working of the maternity hospital at Paeroa. Figures had shown that a huge institution like St. Helen’s at Auckland, with an enormous population, had been run at a great loss, and, nearer home, there was their own annexe, showing a decided loss. It was not reasonable .to suppose (hat Paeroa could do any better.

Mr G. Death asked Mr Danby if’he had ever heard of any public maternity annexe or hospital being run to show a net profit.

Mr Danby proceeded to quote figures showing that of 134 births in Thames only 42 had taken place in the Thames annexe. In Paeroa there had been 86 births and provided a liberal proportion of one-third of that number had taken place in a maternity hospital at Paeroa, the number would only be about 29. He asked if th.at number would be a paying proposition.

At this stage Mr Brbnan rose to a point of order, contending that the speaker's remarks had nothing to do with the amendment.

Mr Danby maintained that he was entitled to show that the Thames Council was, quite justified in changing its mind. The chairman asked M’r Danby to use his figures at a later date, and to confine his remarks to his amendment. Nothing daunted, Mr Danby said that it was his intention to siupply the fullest information concerning the whole affair to the Minister for Health at a later date. Had he been a member of the board when it had decided to erect the maternity annexe atj Thames, and also the Paeroa hospital, he would have opposed both issues because, in *his ( opinion, the expense was not justified and the need for such institutions ,was not pressing in the board’s district. In view of the losses shown by similar institutions, he contended that the Thames borough, and also the Minister, would be quite justified in objecting to the expenditure. Mr J. Lange seconded the amendment. In supporting .the remarks of the previous speaker he deprecated the suggestion that parochialism had influenced the matter, but maintained that it was- a straightforward arid honest endeavour to prove that the demand for maternity hospitals did not justify the expenditure. Mr Robinson reminded the meeting that Paeroa had been promised a casualty and maternity hospital—it would serve a dual purpose. Mr Lange admitted this - , but maintained, that, even so, there was.no demand for the building. Mr Kennedy said that in his opinion nothing had been put forward that day to cause any previous decisions to be altered. The Thames Hospital had been run at a loss for years,, but the people of lOhinemuri had not “squealed.” Why, then, should Thames single out Paeroa, before the institution had been erected and tried out. Mr Kennedy further suggested that the board should close the Thames -annexe aitd turn it into an isolation block. The chairman said that could not be done, because it wasi not the required 40ft clear of other buildings. Mr Kennedy: Then shift it to Paeroa.

The amendment was defeated, and the resolution was carried by 5= votes to 4. %

Mr Kennedy moved that the tender of Speight, Pearce, Nicholl, and Davey be accepted.

The chairman ruled that past resolutions put the motion out of order. Mr Kennedy condemned the board for holding up the work. He thought he was . quite in in moving his resolution.

Supported by a spirited discourse by Mr Danby, the chairman ruledMr Kennedy’s resolution out of order. Mesprs Brenan and Kennedy combated this view, the former moving that the board proceed with the Minister’s authority ’to erect the Paeroa hospital in brick. Mr Kennedy: “Let us be sports and agree to the thing.” He seconded the resolution.

Messrs Brenan and Robinson strongly supported the resolution, but vigorous protests by Mr Danby prevailed and the chairman ruled the resolution out; of order.

Mi’ Brenan said that the Paeroa people had been most patient. He did not pretend that the hospital would pay, but he would insist that "there was a demand for the institution. It was as well to remember that after all was said and done the board was second to the department, which had the final say, and it was very unfair to hang the matter up any longer.

The discussion then ended, and it is apparent that no progress will be made until a conference eventuates with the Director-General.