PROPOSED MATERNITY HOME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1877, 14 September 1918, Page 3

PROPOSED MATERNITY HOME.

OBJECTION TO HOSPITAL SITE. SUGGESTION FOR ST. HELEN’S HOME. Objection to the proposed erection of a maternity home in the hos•pital grounds was received at the meeting on Thursday of the Hospital Board, when Mrs Crabb presented a petition from 1,121 women asking the Board to reconsider its decision to erect the maternity home in the general hospital grounds. The petitioners stated that they did not consider the location of the home in the hospital grounds would be in the best interests of the patients, and they also asked that a epoy of the petition be forwarded to he Minister in Charge of Hospitals. Mrs Gill, Messrs R. Ross, P. Buck and P. Robinson waited on the Board in support of the petition.

Mr Ross said that the members of the deputation had come because of the widespread feeling amongst the working classes against the proposed site. The deputation represented 1,600 workers, and as a maternity home would meet a longfelt want for the working classes, it was felt that their opinion regarding the question of site should be considered. If time had permitted, five times the number of signatures could have been obtained to the petition against the proposed site. The position was that there was a large amount of discontent among the working classes against the site for the maternity home being at the hospital, as they did not believe to have it there would be in the best interests of the future mothers. They were practically unanimous in the opinion that it should not be built on the present grounds, as to do so would be incurring certain dangers to patients that they should not incur. If the home was built on the proposed site the working classes felt that there would be such a danger to their wives from such a site that to a huge extent they would refuse to take advantage of it. The petition represented the majority of the working classes’ opinion in the. district, and they urged the Board to reconsider its decision, and to have the home on some other site. He assured them that he had not come across one individual who favoured (he idea of having the maternity home on the proposed site. The views ho placed before them were on behalf of those who were likely to use a maternity home, and therefore those views should be largely considered.

Mr P. Robinson said that he represented the Flaxworkers’ Union, consisting of about 800 members. The Board, he said, had at first decided to have the home away from the hospital grounds, and later on Mr Ilornblow ( a member of the Board) had stated in his paper that part of the hospital building was out of date, and that they were going to use that part for a maternity home. The only reason given was on account of cheapness, and they knew that if they got anything cheaply it wa.-. no good. If they were going to put the home in the hospital grounds, and the workingpeople were opposed to it, they were not going to use it. He considered that putting the home in the hospital grounds would not be in the interests of the working classes.

Mr P. Buck, speaking as the representative of the Friendly Societies’ Council, said it was considered that to put; the homo on the present hospital site would he against the interests of their members. It was thought that if the home was put in the hospital grounds it would mean (heir wives being close to where there was suffering of all kinds. The matter had been before the local friendly societies, which had 890 members, and he spoke on behalf of the whole of the branches. If a better site was obtained, the friendly societies would do all they could to help the matter along. They had comimmicated with the Minister on the subject, and he had said that nothing »ould he done because of the site.

Mrs Gill said she spoke on behalf of the women. This was a matter affecting all classes of Avoraen, and she had found amongst the Avomen a feeling against the home being built on the hospital grounds, as they kneAV the hospital was connected with all sorts of suffering, and they would .shrink from anything that Avould remind (hem of suffering and death. She urged the .Board to give the matter sympa.thetic consideration .apart: from the sordid consideration of cost. In only too many ways the women avlio would he inmates of the home would liiiA'o at that time the only rest they would have to look - forward to from their daily Avorrios, and surely the time should be made as cheerful as possible for them. The country was calling for nation builders, and if women were willing to take up }he strenuous work of nation-building, they should make it as easy and simple and pleasant as Avas possible. Several women had told her that they would not go to the maternity home if it wins near the hospital. There Avas an old building that was to be used partly for the maternity home, and there was a feeling amongst the women against the present propositi.

Mr J. H. Vincent asked what was the danger at the proposed home that the deputation spoke about. Mr Boss said it must be obvious that there must be a danger when there was any exchange amongst the different wards of the hospital, The very fact that the home was in sneli close proxhnitv to a hospital containing infectious and contagious diseases created a danger to the

maternity mini. Mr J. K. Hornblow said he had as much sympathy with the womenfolk as Mrs Gill or anybody else, bat it would be as well for the new members of the Board to know something of the maternity ward. The Board had considered the general hospital had become too cramped, and had decided to go on with additions. He believed it was Mrs Gill (then a member of the Board) who had brought up the question of adding a maternity ward.

Mrs Gill; A St. Helen’s Home. Air Hornblow said that he had made the first objection to a maternity ward at the hospital, but the Board had since acquired an additional 11 acres of land. He did not think that every maternity case would go to the hospital, and the scheme was only to accommodate 75 cases a year. The Board was not providing for the case of the wife of every working man, and as a matter of fact the flaxworkers were the best-paid unskilled workers in the British Dominion. It was absolute “bunkum” to talk about septicaemia, for that was a question for medical men. When he had asked Mrs Gjll why they did not find a place in town, she said they had a place —but it was an old building. He had suggested that (hey put their energies into getting a St. Hel-

en’s Home, and had been against the Board having anything to do with a maternity ward at all. It would he far better if the Board out out the maternity Avard altogether and got the Government to provide a St. Helen’s Hospital in Palmerston North. The Board was only providing for 75 eases a year, and there was no ehanee of getting any building erected until the other portions of the hospital bad been provided for. Dr. Whitaker said it was true that the Board had no money for a maternity home, and the objection was made at least a year too soon. They all agreed that maternity eases should not see suffering, but at the proposed maternity hospital it would he impossible for the patients to see suffering. It seemed that the public could be easily worked up, but was it a fact that people could see suffering at a hospital with nine acres between? Women had had children at the hospital, and he did not think that it entered their minds that there was suffering in the hospital. It was not merely routine work they wanted, but some cases were handed round to a “team” ot doctors and nurses, and by working together they could undoubtedly produce the best results. He quoted figures to show the declining birth-rate, and said he felt that gradually these matters’were beingrecognised as a national obligation, and if that was so, the whole matert would be taken out of the Board’s hands. Mrs Crahb said that only one woman she had asked to sign the petition had refused to do so, and women of all classes did not approve of the scheme of having the home in the hospital grounds. The Hon. Russell was absolutely opposed to if being in the hospital grounds. If they obtained a Bt. Helen’s Hospital the Government would have to build it and maintain it. Mr Ilornblow: Quite right.

Sir James Wilson said it Avas quite (he wrong lime to come to the Board now that it was in serious difficulty about buildings for the hospital. He did not think the present was (he proper lime to come to the Board, and all he could say to the deputation Avas that the members would give the matter every consideration. The members of the deputation having withdraAvn, Dr. Whitaker said it Avas the Minister avlio had first suggested having a special maternity Avard at the hospital. Mr J. A. Nash said that Avas correct, but the Minister subsequently said Avhen the Board Availed on him that it must be at some place other than in the hospital grounds. The Minister had offered to provide the money straight aAvay if (he homo was not at the hospital. He suggested that a deputation wait upon the Minister and urge him to open a St. Helen’s Home in Palmerston. Sir James Wilson said it Avould he a misfortune to have a squabble about the site, as that Avould only delay the matter. He thoroughly endorsed the idea that they should urge the obtaining of a St. Helen’s Home for the district. It Avas clearly a State duty to provide such a home, and they should continue to press the matter.

Mr Hornblow snid that when the petition against the maternity hospital site was being taken round 1 hero seemed to he eompetition between the W.C.T.L. and the Labour Party, and the latter had sent a circular to various branches in which certain things had been misrepresented. People should have also heard the other side of the question, as they were told that the Board was going to erect the maternity ward out of an old infectious diseases ward. He pointed out that the population of the Board’s district was 44,000, while the petition only contained 1,121 signatures. It was decided that when the deputation from the Board, consisting of Sir James \Vilson and Messrs Nash and Hornblow, waited upon the Minister regarding the additional money required for hospital buildings, it should also urge him to open a f St. Helen’s Hospital in Palmerston North.'—^Standard.