THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1920. THE OTAKI HOSPITAL.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 18 August 1920, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1920. THE OTAKI HOSPITAL.

We coEgr&lul3.ie th« i ■:.:..■■:-■■.■ -V-jrti: Hospiuil Board on 1-..-...,. -:•■ cided at its last meeting. "*y a -bar* majority, to deeliii* t-j :-;p.-i.:' .• ■ acdertaking giyts y" : •• Pel ; H Department to rate w« :i« r '" HospAaL In tse eosr?* ■-:' ' : . ■;•■• <j:j tbe question, Mr Horn: low ■":- ■

Id maintain the Qtalii Hospital Wlidi Mr liornblow repeated thai " ; Mr Penn should make it el?ar that the Board bail novo:- expressed to the people* of , Horowheiiua that it was Intended to • ' close the"" institution," Mr Broadbelt i asked: "Can .'.we get the assurance of. : this Board that it will not be closed?" To this the Chairman replied: "Per- i sonaiiy i would not be prepared to give I any such assurance." In his lengthy i speech dealing with the arrangements iur.de by the Board in connection with ) the amalgamation of Hoiowhenun j with the I'alnicr'ston Hospital District, ' Jlr liornblow emphasised the point | that, had rue Board any idea that it | would be saddled with the cost of maintaining the Otakf Hospital, it would never haw consented to allow llorowlteiuia to join tln-m. lb' read an extract from I 1 "' Board's minutes of mooting held in 1!"17, in which h was thai the Ministci 01 Hospitals and Dr. Valititim- 'had visited the hospital, al poiut'edlo interview them, ami had informed the con aiittoo that . . .the

Department had decided in take over the Otaki Sanatorium and the Otuki Hospital. . . ." llr Hornrdow said il was entirely on the Mn-nyih of thai statement liy Dr. Vaiimine thai the fjot'u i had consented lo allow Horo ,vi otiu; in .join their district. Mr j;.-:- -i '] and Sir dame - Wilson endo] . ! Mr HonibloWs remarks. Xow we would point out thai the facts do not seem to us to justify these slate- ;;,,.., -jiii wo would iike to refresh the memory of the gentlemen named. Tin chairman •'» report re Dr Valintinc's , si :■■ r-iui i i'. as read a : a mr-et iug of the lit*rd held on dune i ;th, 1917. If the Hoard relied entirely on this statement that the J*nl>li<» Health Department woid.l take over the Otaki Hospital—- ; , •• ■ i;:i re!» r-. would have us believe ; In w .:.. ii thai ivlie i a deputation from iho Horowhor.ua district waited on : ■.. Board on July lilst. 1917—mark j Iho di.io —that .-cone little argument I •<;■ i'-h .< with rospet ito Iho main- | -■■■ ;■•■■ e of the Otaki HospilnJ. and (he , I'al ; ■■ ion Hoard -' lied Horowhenun to give an assurance thai the number . ;' : • fii'iits to be treated at Otaki shoo!.I be restricted to 100 a year.' According to reports which appeared in iho Palmorston North" papers al the I in ■ sir James Wil en moved a motion a kin < fni tin pati m in lip restricted j to lfm n year, but' diseus.-ion the I • . •■ :■ was withdrawn, and no restriction whnlovor was imposed. The feci thai ihe Palmersinn Board mpmrn-r* I were of opinion that the arrangement j ■ Public Health DcpartmeiH to j • ■ ov-r the Otaki Hospital would ' become a permanency—though it was ■>' •:;■■!>• understood at the iijne thai- ;• ■.'.•;. :- temporary arrangement—and II ii:.] I'.oa.rd passed the following ! ,-. , bubo,: "Tin ; ih'. Hoard agrees ■ i Healih Department taking over ' the Otaki Hospital institutions, on the I understanding that the corisumptivi ■ jr... i ■ tirely. m,l il cottage hospital •• ■• r. Pn ,l of ihe war. or. when the f; .■-■•-■,;..:, nl -o do-ires, be again taken over 1 v ihe Palmer-ton NTorth Hospital ami f'haritnlde Aid Hoard." This is Ih.. : - " res, ' ,ti, , which the Ho.-,, d !, ' ■ ! i>, les'-ind • i'i iasf meeting. To ■: v- rescinded ihi would, ill f.ur have b. e. ~,, ..;.;< raonlinnry liii. . se.-ii ■; that the Hoard em •: : :'..■ Department with il- •■■ •■; . . We fail to -- e any point in l> \\" ■: -■■;■- ■ • H -: ri-M-1 i ■ " .-. V,\ .... ■ ;...-. the mem- . .; ■- i;..; . ,■■ r ,.l for .-.i-hir. - j •-■ ■ ■■ r folic flP.alti ' !, ■ r, jidf.fl io eon- j ~ ' , ~o r iT,/,l of •'..- Ott-.ki Hospital. ■■-■-."■• ■ uid be r , ..lose the - ;?-.-.■■•• .-..-. - . - - - ~ Board .. ~ j .- ; -.-•■■■.- - the ■ ' '--"'■ T! - i.r ■- bjection -hat ' raiied to the maintenance oi '-' pitiJ by the Board is on the • ' : '■:'■ the -■...<-- r<- cost, and on this '■■'->■ ■■ ■■■ : to tl irk that . ■■■■ : ;ally thfc ! ; ■ • " ok on th, j titer from an ■ : ' '•■ ■-:-:.'.-':■ :.-.;•.- ■ : ■:.-:.. Thifi | -'•:•■ Palmerstoa -.■'■" . and in add; ; ■'"• '-' •'; '■' ■: - ■ '■ being i by Ho ".->->•-•;- for a period of I >'' '.'''- '■•" ■■'■--.:■ oi f-ntrance fee. ', : - r •'' -'+'-■•■ •■'■'i'.h ! j"s"e:z:r_<-z-. sab-idy. ,

- "•■■■ ja'-'Otiie ■-,:' £32<W frorii The com of the Otaki | Hoiphai »...-'..- Vmq so huesi available •- -.ck,- a;..;»r'/' :-"-••-■'•,- £I7OO per -~ '■■■• - ' -~ ' •'■ - V-c-\r.T:X- ' ■ ""'' ■■'■>''■ supposing i -*" " .;■' totalis £250 .:»*t annua*, it . .- ..vc- •;..-■ Hospital Beard & ce< i.: . .:..-■ «" £12." ' '• • ■';: *~,".-.-,;- tjj* ; ' i" iaersMK Hospital. . .;--::: ;.- a-.. .- - - ; .-.• :■.- ■..,-■. of ; ■ , • . - '- '-. Hospital ss'ill

the local hospital—which even Sir gJnnies Wilson must admit —it seams to us that the plea of excessive financial strain is being' "ridden to death.'' The Board's decision to send their medical advisory committee to Otjki to "enquire into eases treated at the' OtaKi Hospital from the date Horowhenua joined this district, and to report to the Board whether, in the best interests of the patients, any or all the eases could have been treated at the I'almerston North Hospital," will be of little value. Of course u great many of the cases could have !>ern treated at Palmcrslon, but at what cost and inconvenience to the patients and their friends'! Seeing that we have the institution in full working order, doing magnificent work at a reasonable cost, why should the people's wishes and convenience not be studied.' We feel convinced thai a majority of members of the Board will agree 10 the maintenance of an institution thai is doing such magnificent service in a scattered district.