OTAKI HOSPITAL.

Shannon News, 12 June 1925, Page 4

OTAKI HOSPITAL.

MR. FIELD’S PROTEST,

Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., has written to the Hon. Minister of Health as follows: —“Dear Sir, —Re Otaki hospital: As you are aware the proposed deputation to yourself on the subject of the threatened closing of the Otaki hospital fixed for last Thursday week avus postponed owing to the fact that the ; Palmerston Hospital Board was to meet ' , on that date and consider the question, i “The Board did consider it, and on j 1 the motion of Mr. Nash, M.P., for Palj merston North, it was decided to accept the proposals - of the Department for the dosing of the hospital on the terms that the Board find the proposed ambulance and th'e »Dcpartm'cnt tiliodriver thereof. All the HoroAVlienua representatives on the Board, four in number, voted against the proposal. This Board meeting follow'ed closely on a visit of the Board, and of officers of the Department, to Otaki. The De partment promised to give me ample notice of this visit, but failed to do so. The fact that I was not present %vas unimportant, but the fact that I Avas unable to give the people of the Otaki district due notice was very important, and should not have been alloAved to occur. . “I understand that a no.tice ot motion has been given'by one of the HorOAvhenua members of the HospihN Board to rescind the resolution übovimentioned, so the matter is still unsettled. “A large and representative deputation noAV desires to Avait- upon you, and I am requested to ask that you Avi.'i fix an early date for receiving them. I would point out, hoAvcver, in t-ae strongest possible terms, that their should be no occasion Avhatever for these gentlemen to spend time and money coming to Wellington for such a purpose. There are no good grounds for closing the hospital, and to dp so amounts to a serious breach of faith and trust with the Otaki people of both races. A private individual re e'eiving a gift for a specific purpose or trust, and afterwards deciding to abandon that purpose or trust Avould be in honour bound to return the gift. Why should a Government Department not be similarly bound? ■ There is, naturally, much indignation on the part, of both, local bodies and private individuals throughout the .length and breadth of the Manawatu line -over this threatened wrong. “In 1920 Avhen the Palmerston Hospital Board made its first attempt to ' close this hospital, Dr. Valentine definitely promised that it should not be closed, and the people have relied on that promise. The Board, I understand, draws about £6OOO per annum in the form of levies and subsidy from the Horowhcnua County, and the loss on the Otaki hospital is said to be about £9OO per annum. If the institution were conducted on business lin'es, and if any reasonable attempt were made to foster it, there need be no loss at all.. There is ample evidence that the Otaki hospital has been purposely starved Avith a view to ensuring such a loss as Avould furnish a reason for closing the institution. Patient after patient from the Otaki district is being sent to Palmerston for treatment with-

out any good reason, and the Board has carefully refrained from rencAA'ing worn out and consumed equipment and supplies with the same object in vioAf. But in any case, the Hospital Board is still doing very well out of the county. The expense of the ambulance and driver Avould be a heavy item, too, and the Board and Department Avould not, therefore bo substantial gainers financially by the change. “There is a growing feeling on the Manawatu line that scA 7 0.ral Govern-, ment Departments, including the Health Department, desire to subordinate the Avhole of that district-to the tOAA'n of Palmerston North, and to centralise at the latter place. ,In order to achieve this object the Manawatu line appears to be singled out for injustice Avliich is not suffered by any other part of the Dominion. From the enclosed noAvspaper clipping you will sec that members of the Levin Chamber of Commerce cited instances of small hospitals being retained without question in the vicinity of larger ones. One case mentioned is that of the Greytown, Pahiatua and Masterton hospitals, and another that of the Hauraki Plains, where there is already a hospital at the Thames, another at Waihi, 35 miles tiAvay, and Avlicre it is proposed to add still, another at Pacro.a, half-way between the two.

“The Palmerston North hospital, too, is already ov'er-crowded, and ,if the Otaki hospital is closed, further accommodation must be provided at Palmerston North entailing an expense probably in excess of the original cost of the Otaki hospital.

An important point for consideration, too, is that it is very questionable Avhether Otaki i s a suitable place for the treatment of consumptives. One wcll-knoAvn authority on tuberculosis, Dr. Evans, stated that if he Avere selecting a spot in NeAV Zealand for a sanatorium. Otaki would be the last to receive his consideration. In any case, I question whether the people of Otaki desire a further largo influx of consumptive patients in their midst. “As the representative in Parliament of the larger portion of the Manawatu line it is my bounden duty to protest in every possible way against the closing of our useful little hospital, which has for a quarter of a century, in spite of its starvation for the past few years, been a real boon to our district.

I ask that you will pronounce to be unnecessary the proposed visit of a large deputation to Wellington, and that you Avill definitely say that the institution is to be allowed to continue its humanitarian Avork. —Yours faithfully, (Signed) W. 11. FIELD.” -