OTAKI HOSPITAL.

Shannon News, 6 March 1928, Page 4

OTAKI HOSPITAL.

PROTEST AGAINST TREATMENT.; 'DISGUSTING AND* DISGRACEFUL. ’; (Otaki Mail). For many months, nay ... years, the' Otaki hospital has been well discussed, and \vhile the residents of Otaki are; very anxious to have the place proper-' ly equipped and made thoroughly up- '* to-date there are others who are not so anxious for this improvement. In consequence of this, and other matters arising over the controversy, another meeting of the Otaki Citizens' Committee was held on Monday afternoon, when the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Brandon) presided. Others present were Messrs G. A. Monk, F. J. Ryder (who are also members of the Palmerston North Hospital Board), L. G # Lowry, A. W. Broadway, E. Looser (secretary), and Rev. G. Iv. Moir. Mr. Looser read various letters (which hhve already appeared in the “Mail”) from Mr.. Field, who also wrote that he had interviewed both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health requesting them to carry out promises made a considerable time ago. Mr. Brandon said it was a wellknown fact that residents of the district, some 40 strong, had gone to Wellington to wait on the Minister and to urge for improvement. It was then promised that the hospital would .be .brought up-to-date, and. he now considered the Otaki Committee would be lacking in its duty if it did not see this promise was being put into effect. The Committee had passed a resolution that it. should back Mr. Field jup, and all that was now asked of the Minister was that he should carry out his promise. It appeared to him that Otaki was the shuttlecock between the Minister of Health and the Palmerston North Hospital Board, j Mr. Ryder said that at the last meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board Dr. Valentine was keen to discuss the hospital, but as his colleague, Mr. Monk, and Messrs Broadbelt and Catley, were absent, he advised a postponement A conference was then arranged for.

{ Mr. Monk said the meeting was a special one, called by telegram at two days' notice, and that it was absolutely impossible for him to attend. The Palmerston North Hospital Board agreed tjp take over the hospital on certain terms; he-thought-ten beds were to be allotted for general cases and four for maternity cases. He spoke only from memory. The argument between the B,oard and the Health. Department was that the Department promised to make certain alterations to the buildings, andhad not done so. He asked, was the Hospital Board justified, in talcing over the building till the work had been completed? Mr. Monk had visited the hospital with Dr. Valentine and had agreed to the maternity ward, yet the Health Department was not doing the work as promised, and-further it worn* not give its word that it would do so. As for the area of land which was in dispute Mr. Monk considered the Board justified in taking up the stand it had. Some thirty odd acres had been donated by people in Otaki, yet the Health Department* only‘desired live acres to be, transferred with the hospital. He favoured more land for the growing of vegetables, and considered the Board 1 required the whole original area attached to the hospital but not to the “San.'” He thought if the conference was to take place the Board should be backed up in that respect. Mr. Monk stated that the Board was prepared to take over the hospital on April Ist but alterations must be first done. He maintained that the blame was on the* Health Department who had done nothing-

Rev. Moir said lie had been in the- habit of visiting the hospital but had found at Christmas time that there were no patients there, and he had fon’ned the impression that there would be no more patients till the maternity ward was ready and structural alterations made. He considered the whole matter a crying shame, and pointed out that persons who could ill-afford it had to go elsewhere. Mr. Monk considered the blame was on the Health Department. Mr. Ryder spoke on similar lines to Mr. Monk, but thought the matter of area! of land might be overcome. A lot of the land, he said, was useless, but still they wanted land for a cottage. Mr. Monk: There is a cottage there! Mr. Ryder, continuing, said that Dr. Valentine had said that milk and vege tables would be supplied at cost- if some of the land was foregone. Mr. Monk: Let them lease the land it is, ours, not theirs!

Mr. Ryder thought if an arrangement-, could be arrived at so much the better; it was no good grumbling over a bone if it could be helped. He regretted that the Health Department had not carried out its promise and made necessary alterations.

M. Broadway considered the position scandalous. They had a beautiful place, beautiful grounds, and why should they coniine themselves to five acres of ground. He favoured holding to the lot. In his opinion the Health Department was like a lot of school boys, and it would be better for all to resign if they could get nothing done; they were getting no satisfaction. They had good men on the committee, and he hoped they would fight for the whole area of land. Mr. Monk said that the Health Department had agreed to do. certain structural alterations, to which the Board had agreed, and when these were completed the Board would take over the hospital.

The chairman considered there was need of a conference and at such ie maintained that the local committee should be present. They were not concerned with the argument between the Board and Department; all that Otaki and district wanted was justice.

Mr. Looser agreed that the committee should be represented on the conference, but, so far, they had reeeived

no notification of the meeting, in fact they may receive no notification. The chairman: We are completely in the dark, but we should make application to the Minister to be represented. Thc ; Rev. Moir then moved that the secretary write to’ the Minister of Health asking that the Otaki Citizens , Committee and Mr. Field be accorded the courtesy of an invitation to be present at the conference proposed to be held between the Board of Health and the Palmerston North Hospital Board. This was seconded by Mr. Lowry, and carried unanimously. Mr. Broadway said that he was pleased to see the stand Mr. Field had taken, a remark that was endorsed by others.; . " As a parting shot at the Health Department Mr. Ryder , ref erred to hospital matters as “disgusting and disgraceful. "