The Daily News. MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 1917. THE HOSPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 1917. THE HOSPITAL.

If there is one institution in Taranaki of which the people are justly proud it is the New Plymouth Hospital and anything that affects the smooth working of tljis institution is strongly resented by the community, and more so than ever in these war times when hospitals hold such a high place in the esteem ol all. It is therefore with extreme regret, and only at the call of 4 public duty we have to assert plainly and emphatically, that unless tho members of the Taranaki Hospital Board alter their tactias we are afraid the time is not far distant when a crisis will be reached at the .Hospital, which has hitherto been free fron. trouble, and, mainly for that reason, has done remarkably good work, gained tho confidence of the whole of Taranaki, and earned a Dominion-wide reputation for efficiency. For some time past, and particularly since tho late chairman retired, there has been a disposition on the part of several members to find fault with the work of the professional staff. Only tho other day, a hubbub was caused over the setting apart and furnishing of a room for convalescent soldier inmates. Why, '\ve cannot understand, for the only people inconvenienced, as far as wo can see, were the matron and the chief medical officer, v\ho gave up their rooms that the unfortunate soldiers might have a little more brightness and comfort. One could expect that the members would havo heartily complimented the staff and the Red Cross Society, who furnished tho room free of cost to the (Board, upon their thoughtfulness and consideration. Instead, some of the members, for reasons bc6t known to themselves, must show their ill-will to those to whom .they should be grateful. Then the same section of the Board must go out of their way to insult the executive staff by demanding an enquiry into the circumstances attending tile resignation of one of the probationers. Surely matter* «f internal administration are the concern, not of laymen, but of the doctor and the matron. The holding of an enquiry is in itself tantamount to passing a vote of no-conlideuce in them. If they are competent to occupy their respective positions, surely tlioy are competent to manage the staff under them. If they are not the only proper and straightforward course is to . ask them to resign. The New 'Plymouth Hospital has reached its position, it must be said, not so much by the management or policy of the Board, as by the efficiency of tho medical and nursing staff, though some of the members, to whom we refer, act as though they themselves are responsible for the success gained. It may be that this feeling is responsible for that species uf petty tyranny which by some is the embodiment of power. As a-matter of fact, tho Board have never done their duty by the Hospital. They certainly authorised the building of the new hospital, but this was forced upon them by tho increased demands made upon the hospital by tho public, but if the Board had had their way the accommodation would have been 25 per cent, less than it is to-day, which is already severely taxed at times, whilst they have never done their duty by the nursing staff in the matter of accommodation This should have been furnished a. the time the hospital was built, but the Board, though tlniy knew the inadequacy of the accommodation aad the inconvenience and hardship suffered by the nurses—who in desperation had to forcibly show the Board its duty, and were unmercifully pilloried by tiie Board for their action—have put the matter off at every meeting, until now the erection of the building has been definitely postponed until after the mi in the vain hoge the prise of

will bo materially reduced, ami other make-shift accommodation is being M-'jght. It is tlio old penny wise and pound foolish policy characteristic of vlio operatic!!'; of the Hoard. It was the same with the infectious diseases u<-. coimuoduuTou. 2s"urse after .nurse contracted disease simply because of the callous neglect of the (Board to provide decent*facilities that in any other place they would have had to give. As a result, the Hospital has loP,t its best and most promising nurses, and to-day the staii', aiready attenuated by the exigencies of the war. is liard put to it to copo with tlio growing work of the. Hospital. Though tlio urgency of the requirements of the isolation ward was stressed by the medical officer in confwenco with the Board over a year ago nothing has been done until now, when they are proposing to utilise a portio/. of the old hospital building for the purpose. On top of this, we have a section, and no small section, of the Board, pin-pricking the executive heads at every opportunity, and making things as uncomfortable as they can. What we are afraid of is that if this kind of puerility is to go on, we will find the staff refusing to serve further. This would bo a calamity, but it would be only the natural outcome of the treatment to which they have been and are being subjected. The public, we are certain, have not the slightest sympathy with this policy of irritation, having tho fullest confidence in the staff and, admiration for the work they are doing, and they will be the first to protest against the action of those members of the Board who are striving to undermine the 'work of the Hospital. The officers deserve not pinpricks and rebuffs, but the fullest sympathy and cooperation, which they would receive in unstinted measuro from a board who were conscious of their responsibilities, and had a conception of what was due to the officers of the Hospital, and were not obsessed by the dignity of their office and the constant fear of an injury thereto.