TAIHAPE HOSPITAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 16 December 1918, Page 4

TAIHAPE HOSPITAL.

j (To the Editor.) I Sir, —I wish to reply to some critie- ! isms levelled at the Hospital in eon- ! nection with fhe noh-adniittancc 'of I an infectious ease to the fever ward, during the late epidemic. It is admitted that the ward was erected for and intended to meet such eases and that jthe (claim foil admittance was a fair one. That the patient could not be admitted was most regrettable, but at the time the application was made it was impossible. There were in tlie Hospital 32 patients with ,a staff for Id. To take in an infectious ease meant the isolation for four or five weeks, of one of the four nurses, it being impossible to get any further help, from Wanganui, who were as hard pressed as Taihape. A nurse in the open ward could .attend to a dozen —in the fever ward —to one. With this explanation I feel sure it will be agreed that the staff at ,a. very trying time, studied ths interest of the greatest number, whilst regretting that one was turned away. I have to \aslc you to grant mo space to deal with a personal matter—a subject which is both humiliating and distressing. It is charged against ■me, (so I hear on the best authority) that I ran away from Taihape during the late deplorable epidemic, and neglected to do what could rightly be expected from me both as a citizen and a member of the Hospital Board. I say that such ,a charge is low down, and cowardly, and ask leave to make a statement. I was present at the Council meeting on the Ist November, left Taihape next day for my farm, it being shearing season. On Monday I was in bed with influenza, with a temperature of 103. During the week I was easily accounted for. Was out of bed the following Tuesday, November 12, but hardly able to walk with weakness and a cough that would have sent any ordinary man to the cemetery. As 1 recovered my men went down; probably through my getting about before the infectious stage had past. By Saturday, 16th November, every man was down, including my son, and the writer was left to attend to everything, and yet at this time and for the past 14 days, hardly convalescent myself, and with a house full of influenza, and hardly able to help myself, I am abused for not being in Taihape helping others. That I could not get there to help the town' and my personal friends, in their hour of need. I deeply regret, but it w r as no more possible for me to come to them than it was possible for them to come to me. Under such circumstances to charge me with neglect is not playing the game. If my condition was not known, whose fault was it? We are on the telephone. Others called us up, but not one ring came" from Taihape. Hunterville, Marton and Wanganui often rang up. ■ I frequently called up Taihape to make .'enquiries, but no one enquired after me; nevertheless I was not forgotten when it came to dealing out abuse. And this is the reward for my past services. It is the old, old stody. Serving the public on a local is like carrying a heavy load a long journey. You set to convey it 20 miles; the nineteenth mile stone is reached and you drop exhausted. You get no thanks for carrying the load the 19 miles, but kicks I and abuse for not reaching the 20. — I I am, etc., A. J. JOBT.IN.