ATTENTION!

NZ Truth, Issue 1143, 27 October 1927, Page 4

ATTENTION!

Hospital Board And Auckland Infirmary For the six months ending September 30, 1927, there »as an increase m the expenditure for maintenance of the Auckland Infirmary of approximately "pHIS is particularly interesting m the light of allegations wihich have reached "N.Z. Trttth" from two reliable sources that for some considerable time there has been a shocking waste of excellent food, foodstuff to the value of many hundreds of pound 3 finding its way into the pig buckets of the institution. After thoroughly lnrestigating the matter by inquiries amongst inmates and of ratepayers and business people m the immediate vicinity of the infirmary, this paper can only come to the conclusion that there is something very much wrong with the institution. There is no fire without smoke, and whilst this paper fully recognizes the danger of placing too much reliance on the statements of querulous old people, nevertheless the inmates of the home are not all so aged nor is their mentality so impaired by the ravages of time that their complaints will not stand the test. In the Infirmary are numbers who are still TDorfcing seven hours a day. It is safe to say that if they can work, then they can also think clearly enough to give an expression of opinion about the roof that shelters them. Every inmate approached condemned the cooking and the method of serving meals. Further, their criticism of the administration extended to the lack of interest and supervision over the culi-

Complaints

nary department as being due to the direct cause of the whole trouble. If it be correct, as stated by the inmates, that the manager seldom enters the cook-house, then it is high time the Hospital Board asked some pertinent questions. • A further allegation is that neither the superintendent nor the manager ever enter the dining-room to inspect the meals. "You would hardly ask a dog to eat it," was the way some of the inmates described what they frankly admitted was excellent food m ample quantities spoiled. From all that can be gathered there is never any Variation of the menu notwithstanding that provision for this is made m the regulations governing the Infirmary. Altogether, m this paper's opinion, there is sufficient evidence to call for a thorough spring cleaning of the home, and any changes the board might make as the result of its inquiries cannot be ,too drastic if they will add to the comfort, health and happiness of the old folk of both sexes who, m their declining years, have become a charge on the State. It must be remembered that the inmate is absolutely at the mercy of those authorities controlling the infirmary, and- they are therefore naturally diffident about taking their complaints outside the institution to the Hospital Board members personally for fear, of the consequences. In fact, the reply too often given, it is stated, to the inmate who does complain within the Costley Home is: "Well, there's the gate."