Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 1918. HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1781, 26 January 1918, Page 2

Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 1918. HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION.

REFERRING- lo our reply to comments in the Ilorowhenua Chronicle re district hospital alrairs, our contemporary says: —

“Our Foxtun contemporary’s cxpliinalion is informative, hut, il is only reasonable to expect that these facts should he disclosed at the meeting when the scheme was discussed. The ‘Herald’ admits that these details ‘have not, unfortunately. been set out through .the press. Hence misgivings in certain quarters not conversant with the facts.” How the paying public is to become ‘conversant with the facts’ if they are not put oh record, our contemporary does not ey plain, and but for the coincidence that j ho editin’ of the ‘Herald’ is a member of the Board —a very keen and outspoken member, 'by the way —we should probably still be‘in the dark in regard to these expensive proposals, Surely these details ought to come from the chairman of the Board in a statement of policy. Such a course would disarm criticism, and, after all, is only what is due to those who will have to hear the financial burden. The Palmerston Board, however, seems to he determined to continue to deserve the distinction of being the -most unbusinesslike in New Zealand.”

A NASTY sting is left in the last paragraph which is undeserved. The Palmerston District Hospital Board is admitted to be, by the Minister of Public Health and Superintendent one of the best administered Boards in the Dominion. The fault, we find, is that in the past it has been too cautious and the policy Las beep to unduly keep expenditure down. Nervousness was evidenced in respect to the building and expansion scheme, and the raising of £i?0,000 for this object. In

our opinion, £IOO,OOO would not be imposing too great a burden upon the wealthy district the hospital servos. There must be a wider outlook. The object of the Board should be to stamp out disease, restore health and happiness to the sick and suffering, encourage the birth-rate, and, most important of all, to erect a bacteriological laboratory wherein the blood corpuscles of patients could be thorouglily examined, to get down to-the causes

of disease, so that when patients leave, the institution they are confident that everything medical science can devise has been done for (hem. To do this thoroughly means and improved environment, and the demolition of the old worm-eaten poi’tion of the structure. This is the policy which has been formulated, and will be carried out. These facts will indicate (hat the Board does not deserve the slur cast upon it.