STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1919, Page 3

STRATFORD.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) (All communications, Idlers, etc., left with Mr. H. ,T. Hopkins, bookseller, will receive prompt attention). . HOSPITAL BOARD. DEPUTATION FROM WHANGAMOMONA. Stratford, Aug. 25. A special meeting of the Stratford Hospital Board was held yesterday for the purpose of giving the Wliangamomona Medical Association an opportunity to explain the position in connection with the temporary hospital and their future requirements in respect to a medical practitioner and a district nurse. The members of the board present were: Messrs C. D. Sole (chairman), McK. Morrison, Cameron, Walters, McKay, O'Neill, Hancock, and Fimierty. The Whangnmoinona Medical Association was represented by Messrs M. Geever, Gill, Marsh, and Bovis. Mr. Geever, after thanking the board for an opportunity to explain their case, said he thought there was a little misunderstanding. He would like first to ask whether the press report of the last meeting, particularly in reference to Dr. Paget's account, was inaccurate. . A lengthy discussion took place, in which the chairman said that Dr. Paget waited upon the board on two occasions, and had denied the board's right to discuss this matter in any shape or form on the ground that the arrangement was a private one entered into with the Wlmngamomona Medical Association by himself. The board hnd then washed its hands of the responsibility. He added, in reply to Mr, Geever, that he had stated at the last meeting of the board thai under the present arrangement the Wliangamomona Medical Association had agreed to pay the 15 guineas. The ac> count had boon paid by the Department The chairman: I understand that the account lias been paid by the Department Why discuss it? Mr. Geever: But we have been misrepresented to the public. Mr. Geever gave the history of the temporary hospital. The Medical Association had, he said, £lOll in hand at the commencement. After the hospital had been in existence live days and when there were 17 patients in the institution, Mva. Cox, the matron, stated at 7 o'clock in the evening that there was a case she did not care to accept responsibility for, and asked if some one conlu be obtained from Stratford. They telephoned to Stratford, and Dr. Paget went Out. They considered at the time that they had £IOO, out (if which the expenses could be met, bin as time .went on they felt justified in including Dr. Paget's account ..with other epidemic accounts. Dr. Paget only attended epidemic patients and there was no dill'erenoe between his account and others. Mr. Bovis stated that no statement of accounts hnd been asked for by the board previously. Kvery patient, excepting voluntary workers, hail been charged. He had :i copy of the accounts, and also a circular letter which accompanied each \v'..vn it was sent out, at the request of the board. The accounts totalled -C7O Ills, and £8 5s had been paid. They had done all the board had asked. Tiie association had no authority to sue for accounts. The chairman said (lie association was a registered body and could sue anil be sued. Mr. Bovis said that these hospitals had been started at the request of Wliangamomona. He pointed out that medicine had been supplied by the association and had not been charged for. That was a matter the board had probably overlooked. Mr. Geever said there were accounts totalling C-JC which had been paid, and the fact that, the accounts went through tlio board showed that they were under the board. What puzzled them was that the board should not recognise Dr. Paget's account. Mr. Sole said the position they took up had been defined by Dr. Paget. They would only be beating the air by further discussion. The report in the press was practically true, and they had no statement contrary to the one Dr. had made until that morning. iff. Morison said there was no antaginistic feeling towards Wliangamomona, and the association and the buard should work together amicably. Mr. Bovis said the Medical Association had sent no deputation to Wellington to interview the Minister, and no statement hud ever been made by the association to a Minister. He had been in Wellington and had seen the for Health on behalf, of the Wliangamomona Settlers' Association in connection with the securing of a medical practitioner through the County Council. He had been told' while there that he should approach the board and not the Department, It was the board's, not the the Department's duty to grant a subsidy. Nothing uncomplimentary about the board was said to the secretary. The chairman: Why should the Minister have the idea that we are not prepared to grant anything towards a nurse ? Mr. O'Neill said he took it from the tone of the Department's letter that the association was very dissatisfied with the board. The chairman referred to the association's letter to the board of August 2, in which the board was asked what assistance it would give towards the cost of obtaining a medical practitioner for Wliangamomona. Assuming that there would be a deficiency of £240 the board was asked if it would pay half. It was also asked if it would resume its efforts for a district nurso for Wliangamomona. Mr. Geever said a nurse wus only desired in the meantime and until they could pet a doctor. The board must realise Whangamomona's position. The township was 40 miles from Stratford, and parts of the district from 20 to 30 miles further still. What must their position be if any serious illness or epidemic broke out? They thought they were justified in looking' to tlie board for assistance, if a nurse was appointed the board would be responsible for half her salary or £IOO. The chairman: You will not be able to get a nurse for £2OO. Mr. Geever said a general policy had been laid down that the Government would pay £ for £ for medical aid in back-blocks districts. The district paid now about £250 in rates, anil that was subsidised by the Government, They had the institutions at Stratford, of course, but that was a long way from Wliangamomona. If they had a doctor there would be many eases which would many eases would not leave Wliangamomona which under present circumstances would go to the hospital. The chairman: You want £IOO for a nurse and £l2O for a doctor. Mr. Geever: If we have a doctor wo , don't want a mi™*

The chairman: Surely you will need the two. Mr. Geever: ]f both were available we would not refuse them. The chairman: It will mean that the ratepayers in .the Stratford County and Borough will have to pay the deficiency. The proportion of rates paid by Whanganiomomi to Stratford County is about 25 per cent., yet the hospital patients from the two districts are about equal. From 1012 to 1015 the number from Whangamomona was 312 and from Stratford :i,/l). For the subsequent three years the position was about the same The average for each year was about 55. The board was liable for £'l42 for children boarded out and charitable aid for Whangamomona, and, in addition to this, there were the hospital patients in Whangamomona. If Whangamomona was a separate district the items he had mentioned would be a direct charge upon it. In addition to what he had mentioned, the board was now asked to pay £240. Then they would not be secure in regard .to the doctor. It had been suggested that he would earn £2OO, but he may not earn £2OO. I nder the amended Act, the board had no power to subsidise. The board recogjii::! the disabilities of Whangamomona, but what the deputation was asking was that they should take money from Stratford County and Borough and subsidise a doctor for Whangamomona. The chairman: Do you require a doctor first or a nurse? Mr. Geever: A doctor, if. we can get one. The chairman: Then that becomes a charge under the local authority. The capital value of Whangamomona district for rating purposes is £570,000, so that a very small rate would be required. Inferring to the nurse, he said that the board had one in view, but she was not fully qualified. The Department refused point-blank to appoint her because she was not a fully qualified maternity nurse, though she had had some experience in this branch of nursing. A £ for £ subsidy would not be paid on the conditions laid down by the association. The Department might find a medical man and rate the district up to the full value to find the money. Mr. Geever: Provided there was a deficiency of £4OO, the board would only need to find £IOO. The other £IOO would be found by the Government. The chairman said his experience of Government subsidies did not bear this out. Mr. Geever said that for a guarantee of £COO they could probably get a doctor. The last doctor was guaranteed £4OO and ho made £7OO, so that they had to pay nothing. Replying to Mr. O'Neill, the chairman said the board had power to subsidise a muse, but not a doctor. They could, however, appoint an assistant doctor to the hospital, whose services could be wholly available to Whangamomona. Mr. Bovis aijked if the board would give £l5O per annum. The chairman,' in reply, outlined the board's commitments. In 'reply to Mr. Cameron, Mr. Geever said they were only asking the board to make itself liable for £l2O a year. Mr. Bovis said he would prefer to have it made £2OO. The chairman: And that would leave us with £lio to take care of'an average of 52 patients every year. Mr. Bovis: That wi'il not continue. Mr. Geever asked if the board had the power to make an extra levy on any pert of the district. The chairman: No. Mr. Geever: If you were to get £IOO from the Medical Association would you collect a subsidy on that? The chairman: Yes, and on any grant from the County Council. They received 24s in donations and 18s ';) d in levies. In reply to Mr. Gever, the chairman ".aid the board would have to give a fixed sum, not half the deficiency, to a medical man. Mr. Morison suggested the following contributions: Whangamomona £2OO, County Council £IOO, Government £2OO, subsidy £IOO, making a salary of .€«00 The chairman said that the whole matter would be considered at the next meeting of the board. POSTED DIRECT FOR 2s Od. One Good Luck Writing Pad, One Packet Envelopes, One Penholder and r.ib. One H.B. Lead Pencil. Send postal note or stamps.—Charles K. James, Box 21, Stratford.—Advt.