UPKEEP OF SANATORIA.

Otaki Mail, 20 July 1923, Page 3

UPKEEP OF SANATORIA.

1 TRANSFER TO BOARDS. CONSIDERATION BY HOSPITAL DELEGATES. PROPOSAL TURNED DOWN. A conference of delegates of Hospital Boards of the North Island was held in Wellington on Tuesday, to consider the suggestion of the Health Doj ailment that the maintenance of the ■ itaki and I’ukcroa. Consumptive ■Sanatoria should be taken over from die Health Department by the North laud Hospital Boards jointly, and fat the Boards should control the nstitutions named. About twentyone Hospital Boards were represented it the conference.

The Director-General of Health, Dr. I'. A. Val'iiiline, then outlined the ibjcct of the conference. There were le said, only two questions to be eon odered, namely (1) as to the taking ivor of the consumptive sanatoria in he Xortli Island; and (si) the ques•ion in regard to the Government, übsidics. With Deference to the hit er question, lie w;is sorry to say il otihl not be dealt with just now, it ad been arranged 1 nut a deputation .as to wait upon (lie Prime jUinis:r to discuss the question of subsidies n Thursday. New Zealand stood cry high in the opinion of hospital uthoritios throughout the world, and fere was no doubt that the hospital r>lcm of this country was becomingvery day more efficient, and more □pillar. Formerly hospitals were re irded with some suspicion, but that ieling had now disappeared. That as shown ley the number of patients

who availed themselves of hospital treatment. But a great deni remained to lie done. The question of the treatment of consumption was now a paramount matters. Whether or not the • ■!( legale? saw eye to eye with the Department on lhe question of taking over the sanatoria, he was sure that the Boards were prepared to assume I hoir share of the responsibility'. Alder discussion by several members who wem in general opposed to the scheme, Sir James Wilson questioned the advisability of passing any motion, and suggested that the question be deferred for a few aionths. Dr. Valintluc said the suggestion overwhelmed him, as ho had placed all his card? on the table. Nothing was to be gained by waiting. It was "h question of £.s.d.. and he did not think they would lose more than c-J.tlDo a year on them, A vitK-e: “AVe are not satisfied on that point. AVill you guarantee it.’” Dr. Valinthie: “One cannot give a guarantee, but J. have not been throwing dust in the eyes of the boards.” Mr. J. fSt.allwort-liy urged that it was cruel to take these people, who were slowly dying, away from their friends. Thev should ascertain how far the boards were prepared to deal with their own cases. Dr. Valinfine said lie had stated I hill Tie department could not run these institutions as economically as the hospital boards. It "as very humiliating to have to say that, but it was because they had to go to oilier departments. He had no desire to throw down the gauntlet to Gie beaicis lor they tiad no quarrel.

A motion that the department should . iroiitinue to administer the iniiitutions for such districts as were-not prepared to deal with their own T.B. vase*, leaving other boards to make tltuir own provisions, was defeated. The cduiirmun’s amendment. proposed at the morning sitting: “That the delegates present are prepared to reeomineJHF their boards to approve the proposal to hand over the Olaki ami T’ukeora Sanatoria to the joint control of the boards as soon as the subside question is settled, and provided file buildings are handed over ii a satisfactory condition, v ’ was a.lso dol’oaled, as was a proposal to defer tlie matter pending further proposals, . boundaries and subsidies. Another conference is lo be held later. 'There was no seconder for a motion to confer with the boards interested in the two institutions. Finally, .-sir .Tames Wilson’s motion: ‘•’That this conference does not- approve of the proposal of the Department of Health to hand over the sanatoria at Otuki and IPukcora,’’ was carried by 18 votes to 5.