DISTRICT HOSPITAL DOCTORS’- APPOINTMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1684, 10 March 1917, Page 3

DISTRICT HOSPITAL DOCTORS’APPOINTMENTS.

PROPOSALS TURNED DOWN. ME A! P.EKS SUDDENLY DUMB. (Palmerston Times.) At Thursday’s meeting of the Hospital Board, Air J. K. Hornblow, according to ids promise at the previous meeting of the. Board, brought up the. question of the appointment of honorary surgeons to the Hospital. He asked leave to alter ids notice of motion, “That the by-laws be amended to provide for the appoint men I of duly qualified men to the honorary medical stall," to “That the by-laws be amended to provide for an increased stipendiary medical staff.” This was agreed to.

Mr Hornblow, in support of his motion , said that he lirst of all wanted to clear himself ol the impression outside that he had deprecated the work of the present medical staff at the Hospital. He had never said that work which had been done by the staff had not been well done. He had suggested Dr. Barnett's appointment because of the shortage of doctors and in view of the fact that Dr. Belt wished to get away to the front. The Hospital Board's by-laws had come into force in 1908, and had provided for a medical staff consisting of two surgeons and an anaesthetist., and did not stale whether it was to be a stipendiary staff or an honorary staff. When the by-iaws were brought into force, the hospital was a eomparalively small institution, and no provision had been made for its development. The work had gone on very well because the Board had been favoured with the services of a most enthusiastic and energetic man, the late Dr. A. A. Mart in, who had been given a. free hand. If would he semi that there was hardly a parallel ease with (he Palmerston Hospital in New Zealand at the present time, from the point of view of the size of the staff and the number of patients passing (hrough. In <me year 85(i pa limits had been treated, and two surgeons and one anaesthetist had done the work. Wanganui was the nearest comparison which could he made to Palmerston in regal'd to the number of patients treated. In one year Wanganui Hospital had had 918 patients and (he work had been carried out by one house surgeon, one consulting surgeon, one consulting physician . five oilier surgeons and one dental surgeon. The Bahnerston stall' was altogether 100 small (or the* number of patients treated, and too much had been c.vpcHVd of it. Masterlon Hospital treated 84J patients in one year, and it had a medical staff of two doctors, with one visiting doctor. The Palmerston Hospital, will) the Old People's Home, had one stipendiary surgeon, paid £125 per annum, and tin anaesthetist, paid £199 per annum. In view of I lie number of doctors who had left for the front, and the increased work at the hospital owing to (lie number of returned soldiers requiring treatment, together with inerea'sed private practices, hi though I that (lie medical staff at the Hospital should be increased. Already Christchurch had brought the short,age of doctors under the notice of the Hon, (I. W. Russell, Minister for Public Health. It was of vital importance that we should have our staff increased in order that the treatment given pa limits should be as thorough as possible..

.Mr ,). Bramweli said that as (lie Board had allowed Mr Hornhlow to alter his notice ol.' motion so materially, he should allow the Board another month to consider it. Tie had given no indication of the number of appointments he considered should he made. Mr Hornhlow said that it was 011lv a question oi’ altering a by-law. There should he four doctors instead of two as at present. The Chairman: Four.' Mr tlornhlow: Yes, to remove any suspicion from the mind of the public. If you want to remove that you must make ample provision. Mr Ij. K. Bryant; I think Mr Hornhlow is moving in the wrong direction. lie should have moved that the honorary staff, not the stipendiary staff, should he increased.

Mr Hornhlow: There is no honorury staff. The by-laws only provide, for two surgeons and one anaesllietisl. Yon appoinled Dr. Whittaker as a member oi’ (lie honorary staff, hut the by-laws do not allow it. Dr. ’Whitlaker has no power to

do anything. The other doctors could bundle him out.

The Chairman: . Oh, no, they couldn’t.

Air Hornblow: Oh, yes, they could! The by-laws don’t allow of iiis appointment, and yet he was appointed, on my motion, yet when 1 moved that a certain well-known surgeon be appointed to the honorary stall’ yon said you had no power under the by-laws. The Chairman: Air Hornblow is (piite right in both cases. I should never have allowed either appointment.

Mr Hornblow: And there are two honorary dentists on the staff. 1 think it is time some of the members knew their own bv-laws.

Airs (fill favoured holding the matler over until the matter of appointing a house surgeon had been decided and to allow of the whole system being altered.

The Chairman: There is no seconder to Mr Hornhlow’s motion, therefore it lapses. Air Hornblow: Alosl, extraordinarv!

,Mr Nasi': We were told that when Dr Putnam returned the whole system would lie reconsidered. Is anything going to lie done, Air Chairman.' 1 would like yon to report to the Board at next meeting. The Chairman: Very well, Air Nash.

Mr Hornblow: Well, 1 would like to ask what is the position in regard to the staff now. Tim Board gave Dr. Alarliu and Dr. Putnam leave of absence. Dr Putnam lias returned and Dr. Martin’s place lias not been filled. In order to give the Board an opportunity of doing something, I will move that Dr Barnett he appointed to (ill Dr Alarlin’s place. The motion lapsed for the want of -a seconder. A HOUSE SURGEON. The question of Hie appointment of a house surgeon was brought up again at the meeting. A snh-eom-mittee brought down a report that the matter he held over for six months.

Mr Nash moved that Dr. Valiu(ine he written to, snking if he had altered his opinion given some time ago against the appointment of an honorary surgeon at the Palmerston North Hospital. Several good men who might have been very suitable bad been lost and the doctor. might know of some man at the present time who was capable of tilling the position.

Mr Hornblow: If we want a resident surgeon we should get one by inviting applications per medium of tile in Hie large centres. I don’t see what Dr. Yalinline has got to do with the domestic affairs of the hospital. . Mr Nash; He has a great deal to do with it. We are living in exlraordinarv times.

Mr Bramwoll: I will second the motion. We will have to get a resident surgeon sooner or later, and we will have to make provision for him.

Mr Hornblow: Oh, yon are beginning to wake up! Yon did not support me when I brought it up liefore.

Mr Bramwell: I have always supported it.

Mrs Gill: What sort of doctor are we aiming at ’! These house surgeons are just young men straight from college. Mr Nash: That is not so. There is a doctor who has been appointed at Wanganui, and lie is too old to go to the war.

Mr Hornhlow: 1 am going to object to the motion because it is throwing the onus on Dr. Valinline, and he may have good and sullieienl reasons why we should not have a doctor here at the present time. The motion was lost.