THE NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81916, 16 January 1907, Page 2

THE NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL

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Dr. 11. 11. lliikewcll. Kurgvon. C.ipt. (ivtii'i'il). formerly house sin-con lo .Middlesex Hospital, London, 010.. and oiio <if tho host known medical men in (lie colonies, writes, under yesterday's date, to I lie. Editor ns follows:-,Sir,-l heard to-day ;. piece of news which astonished meal.out us much as ii'/iything can do at , IIV a -e. I iisked, casually, a person likelv lo 1.0 well informed, whether there" was a Uesidcnl .Medical Ulicer lo the -Vow I'lyinoiith Hospital. The roi.lv was in Hie negative. Then 1 asked how many hods there were, and W ns told there were sixty. On expressing unnatural .surprise that a hospital of that size should he without a. resident I was told (hat one was („ 1.0 appointed shortly, it gentleman well known lo mo l.y reputation, n( present supposed to Lo on his vay fn,,,, England' .„.,, Unit in ii.Mitmii to (1,,- work of ,ho Hospital, he was l„ |,o allowed priva'c practice! Of coulee lam entirely ile|,;.ndent in my inf"riiia.i(. an.l ho may li>- misliikeu or misinforine.l. I.ut I slioiild not think (his probnl,:,..' I\< w. it limy seem an importi|,„-ne,. for a man oitlside lo inlorfori' in mh-Ii ii mat tor lint i( must not lie for-ndl-ii liiiil Hie Sew i'lymoull, Hospital is. in pint, inainliiined l.v pni.lio monev and Unit every ta.\].ay'oi- in tin- colony has llieroforo (In- right d, have some siy in (he matter.

It i-i.ncerns. (no, (h, ~||,ics of (i : , profession, and tin- welfare of (he patients. As a nuivi of lone- experience -• I have been n ipialilied' sur-vou for it ye.irs-and hnvnif,- 1,,,.,, ' ollicev, paid or honorary, to ten lios pilars. 1 trust I may 1,,', pardoned for oll'erins ii few observations on wlint ii|i|vciivs -to mo a most iin'jiislilial.l,., misu-si. of patroiiiige a,,,] of the public funds. '

\'o man, however energetic In- may 1)1'. CHI do justice ti, tile pali-'.lls ,>f 11 general hospital „f sixlv ln-tl« and attend In 11 private practice. Thr n|>puinluient of a vcsiilcnt medical olli ccr involves the obligation not nice ly of sleeping i,,,,! eating in Hie prieints of the building, but of intending (here for liie great majority of Hie ■>\ hulll's. Cl' colli'-,' n resident, nill.-l have ii ,-crta.li amount of tiuni inr outdoor recreation hut where there is only one,, he might always to leuve word us to the direction in which he i- mill where he inav he found if Ids ab-enco is to e.V'vll an 1 •. Due never knows when ;ui accident or a case of sudden illne-s-. may eoine in. Km- allium in active private prae tie.', which in a jilae-/'ike I his imol ■ins midwifery) to al(eni|)( lo cknn-, hine it with the resident appointment of a hospital, is. I do n„l hesiiijl,. i„ say. an cxt.v ly imju-liiiial,!.. p n , I ee. din-: is i„ fuel. ;, "j„b," when is he to do o|,erat!ons. perform post mortem examinations, und practice midwifery; Ido not know who are thy mosl to I).' pitied under siieh oil ..""patients.' " '""'' ' °' ! ''' ""'" |l is very often forgotten bv the liei'inunenl -tall', and sometime- hv. Comntitlees „,■ Hoards „f hospitals, that the.se jnstilutions ate founded and maintained entirely for the bencI'U of Ihe sick mid wouiideil, a|td no| n> provide hilleis and salaries for ihe -In ll'.