MATERNITY ANNEXE

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 271, 15 December 1939, Page 4

MATERNITY ANNEXE

.1 vSAta,, H WAIROA PROPOSAL "W.HLTEI ELEPHANT" FFAIt ,U 1 i. " ~ COOK POSITION, QUOmil) ■.\ ' : , In view. ol.tJie Government's demand Unit the Opodiki Hospital Hoard build aii. elaborate maternity hospital annexe in the near future, the following' report of a meeting oil: the Wairoa Hospital Hoard shouldl prove of nioro than interest to Opotiki residents. The view that if the Wairoa Hospital,Board went to the expense of erecting a maternity hospital in Wairoa and! then some enterprising maternity nurse decided to set up in practice there,, the board's ; home might turn out to bo a white elephant, was expressed by.Mf.. Al. G. .M. Williams at the monthly irnaT'liiig of tli’e toiml this, week, whoa the subject was discussed again .Reporting qii investigations into the subject of,maternity service* while on a recent visit to Gisborne, Mr. Williams stated idliit it appealed to him that since the social security scheme undertook liability for doctors’ fees in private maternity hospitals, the patients preferred to go t<» priv&t i homes. •Ho stated that a patient could have a doctor of lier own choice l.rao of cost in <i private hospital, ar. !■ .tl.ere wclH: hotter facilities to enable her and relatives to visit her. In rt-pni.di j, hospital the patient was in a'ward and had to he attended t 0 by the maternity doctor.

Experience in Gisborne “'J'ho consequence is that the private hospitals in Gisborne are lull and the public hospital is neglected,” added Mr. Williams. ‘ I fear tint if this hoard goes to the expense ol building a maternity annexe and then some mi torprising midwife sets up a private home here, she would! get a monopoly ol the business and rob us of patients." Wairoa, lie stated, then might- be in a similar position to Gisborne and the home would be more or loss a white elephant. Hie suggested that in view of the position in Gisborne the public maternity home there might he able to assist in relieving the situation in Wairoa.

Tile chairman, Mr. J. AI. Taylor, stated that the hoard' had never objected to any patient desiring to go to Gisborne for, maternity treatmen: doing so. Adequate Maternity Facilities it was pointed out by the .secretary, Mr, ill. A. Pocz, that there were at' least seven private hospitals in Gisborne, which was very different to the position in Wairoa. Gisborne possess-, ed 41 maternity beds—l 7 public ivnd -7 private. A statement that if a public maternity hospital were built in Wairoa the Government might dlo what it was doing with transport and refuse to If-' cense private'’ undertakings so as to* prevent opposition was made by tlio 'chairman. * bPeople will go to a private .hospital in preference to a public hospital lor maternity facilities," said Air. H. It. Phillips. 'l'lie chairman; Mr. Williams’ remarks are certainly food for thought. - yi r. T.‘ AY. CJ-. Toinble.soit expressed the view that if the board did erect a maternity hospital, it should he built in town so that it could he sublet- to a good private individual. The question was not discussed any fiirihey. anil it was decided lo an ait advice; from the Department of Health' before any action was taken.