HOSPITAL AT OPUNAKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1919, Page VI

HOSPITAL AT OPUNAKE.

VISIT FROM BOAKD MEMBEES. | . SOME HEATED PASSAGES. COTTAGE HOSPITAL TO BE PROVIDED. The question of some suitable provision for hospital accommodation at Opunake, which has been before the public and the Hospital Board for some time past, has now readied a further stage as the result of a meeting of ratepayers held at Opunako on Saturday, and which members of the Hospital Board attended. Mr. W. R. Wright, chairman of the Egrnont County Council, presided, and there was an attendance of about 50, the majority being residents of tho Opunake Town District, including a number of ladies. The Hospital Board was represented by Messrs, M. Eraser (chairman), A. H. Halcombe, C. Andrews, Jas. Young, ,S. Campbell (members), and E. Holden (secretary). There was considerable discussion, 'at times somewhat heated on the subject of separation from the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid District. The chairman said that there was no doubt from the way the district was growing that provision for hospital accommodation must be made, and with the public works in view, such as the railway, harbor works, and the electric scheme, they must be prepared for accidents. Then there was the maternity question to be considered. There were difficulties to be faced,, but they were practically in the same position as Taihape and Whangamomona, both of which were demanding hospital accommodation. Tho County Council, he pointed out, merely collected the rate, and handed it over to the Taranaki Hospital Board, but had no power of i initiative.

SEPARATION SUGGESTED. . Rev. Palmer, secretary of the Egtuont County Nursing Association, detailed the steps that led up to the.meeting. He referred to the imperative need of having a district nurse, but they had been assured it was impossible to secure one unless suitable accommodation was provided. He had suggested that it Vould be an advantage to have a home of their own for the nurse instead of a couple of rooms, and that idea had developed until it was suggested that they should have a cottage hospital equipped with beds for emergency cases. For this the first thing necessary was a site, and they had interviewed Mr. Wilkinson, who did not consider that there would be any difficulty. However, a larger scheme had been brought forward, namely, that of separation from New Plymouth, and those responsible asked them to withhold their hand on the question of site as it was felt that the proposed site would not be large enough. At a public meeting of ratepayers a resolution favorable to separation was carried. As the result of further correspondence he had suggested that the Hospital Board should send n. deputation to Opunake. The Nursing Association had, on Thursday, fully discussed the matter, and passed a resolution that in the opinion of the Egmont Nursing Association, a cottage hospital would need to be a fully equipped hospital, having beds for eight Europeans, two Maoris, and two maternity cases, with the necessary offices for nurses and assistants. This, they considered, would meet the needs of the district.

THE BOARD'S PROPOSALS. Mr. Fraser, chairman of the Board, said that the Rev. Palmer had taken mm by surprise, more especially in Sv. anl i. t0 the r Pl uireme nts of Opunake. What had been proposed was more than a cottage hospital. It was really a permanent separate hospital. In that respect a conference would have to go into the matter. He pointed out that in the central hospital there was no separata ward for Maoris, and no maternity ward. He thought that he would have had to make excuses for the apparent neglect of Opunake by the Hospital Board, but the Board'had never let the matter of a district nurse drop. Again and again they had gone to the authorities, who assured them that unless they agreed to find a considerable sum to build a cottage hospital they would never get a nurse to go there. The difficulty, however, was one ol finance, as the large increase in the price of supplies made their finances very lean and before long possibly additional accommodation would be asked for by the ratepayers at the Central Hospital. Reverting to the district nurse, he pointed out that the Department under the old system required any out-district which wanted a cottage hospital to find half the cost, as had been done in the caso of Uruti. In the case of Opunake something much more commodious would be required, and it wag agreed that the people of Opunake should be treated more g*nerously, and be asked to contribute, say one-fifth or one-sixth of the sum required. The Board had prepared plans for a modest hospital of two wards, which would cost from £ISOO to £I6OO. built in concrete. If the people of Opunake were prepared

to find £3OO or £4OO the Taranaki Board wa3 prepared to call tenders at once, and get that hospital built. The question was: How far were the Opunake people prepared to help? On any sum subscribed the Department would give a subsidy of 24s in the £., whilst they would also get a subsidy of 20s on the money found by the Hospital Board. Between the people of Opunake, the Hospital District, and the Department, they should be able to build a very good cottage hospital Mr. Meßeynolds asked how many beds would be provided. The secretary produced the plana, which showed that there were two wards. 14ft by 12ft, which would contain throe beds each. There was also n sitting-room, nurse's bedroom, etc. AN INADEQUATE SCHEME.

Mr. Mcßeynolds said that Mr. Eraser apparently did not know the great feeling that pervaded the district. He had been secretary of the Nursing Association for four years, and paid a great tribute to their work. During that four years £195 5s in fees had been collected, and £24!) 18s lid donated. They had handed to the Board £sl 10s, which, with subsidy, would produce £125 5s 3d, and in addition the Board had £l2 l!)s 3d. For the.year ending November, 1917, thn nurse had attended to 175 patients, making 349 visits. Mr. M. O'Brien said that as a ratepayer and a resident of the backblocks, he did not welcome the chairman's proposals, which were utterly inadequate for the district, and impossible of acceptance. The position at present was that Egmont County paid £1579 8s Sd in hospital levy per annum, in addition to £225 interest on lo<w. The Board also received about £I2OO in Government subsidy from the County's con-

tribution, besides, say, £SOO in fees from patients from that district, making sii all £3300, and they got practically nothing in return. Now, he added, they came with the proposal submitted, which was awful t 0 think of. He pointed out that the district was in a deplorable condition during the epidemic, and since then tb» school had been burnt, the Hall condemned by the Health Department as a hospital, so that in the event of an outbreak thers was no place but the hotels. JTe he'd the opinion that the County could well build and equip a small hospital suitable for its needs. He had tak«n export advice, wh'ch assured him that a cottage hospital could be built and equipped for £.10,('00. He had proof positive also that Dr. Boyd's private hospital at kaponga with ten beds coat £045 per annum to run. Mr. Mcßeynolds: Does that include doctors' fees? Mr. O'Brien: I suppose it will. Continuing, he said that such a hospital would suit them, and could be run for £IOOO, against' which he supposed patients' fees would amount to £3OO, leaving £7OO to find, as against the £3200 they now found. Of course, there would be charitable aid and outdoor relief.

A POINT OF ORDER. The chairman said that he must rise to a point of order, as they were not there to discuss the question of a separate hospital, which was out of the range of practical polities. Mr O'Brien: If 'l'm out of order let the meeting tell me, and 111 sit down. Mr T. S. Hickey: I rise to a point of order. I move that Mr. O'Brien be heard. The chairman said that the meeting bad been called to discuss a cottage hospital, not to talk about a general hospital. Mr. J. Lawn: You are throwing cold water on it! Continuing, Mr. O'Brien said that as regards ways and means they could borrow £SOOO under the local bodies scheme, and the Government would give them a subsidy of £SOOO, so that interest and sinking fund would cost £275 The separate hospital would, he said, be no burden to them; in fact, they could carry it on their heads. He considered the Board could easily afford to build ■the building the Nursing Association suggested., The present levy was more than required to maintain a £IOOOO hospital. .They were paying too ffluch money, and the Board was using that for other means, and then had the impertinence to ask them for an additional sum, after such large sums. The chairman objected to this term. Continuing, Mr. O'Brien said that he would not give it a name, as that would be impertinent too. The Board mad f. out tkat 5t had no mon «7- Well he did not know how thev spent it. Probably they struck too 'little elsewhere. Take the town of New Plymouth He considered the game had gone far enough. If the Board erected an up-to-date public hospital for them they would bo willing to submit to an extra- rate struck over the whole county, and if any of the outside districts wished to be left out they could he. They wanted no more than New Plymouth New Plymouth was evidently making money out of the rate collected over the Egmont County, and that was why they would not let them cave If they could not finance a hospital for Opmmke, let them withdraw their opposition to the severance. QUESTION OF SEVERANCE. Mr. Fraser pointed out that they could not make.a Jevy over a portion or the Hospital District. The question w severance was not before them for discussion- Statements had been made but they were open to rebuttal The Board, he said, had never objected to severance,

Mr. C. A, Trotter (chairman of the Opunake Town Board): Well, you never endorsed our resolution to the Department. l Mr. Fraser said that the severance proposal had ne,ver been before them to object to. Of course, they did not want any portion of their district to break away. Mr. O'Brien: Will you withdraw opposition to the hospital? Mr. Fraser said they had no power m , .? ot d ler P r °P° s als than to recommend tho Board to carry out any suggestion adopted by the meeting Mr. Ilickey asked if that was the maximum eftort they were prepared to put forward for the district: Mr. Fraser said that he did not expect any antagonistic move. They had brought forward a proposal which might W m °f d ' fied - , " [t Was not then it was for the Opunake people to say: We will put our hands in our pocke'ts and make it better." Thev never came to fight any battle, but t'o discus the cottage hospital proposal. Air. T. S. Hickey congratulated the cluui/uui of the Hospital Board on his adrc/cness He practically said that they could have a hospital if they paid for it. Mr. O'Brien'* figures, which had been questioned but never refuted. showed that they could erect, equip aid maintain a hospital on the present bvv Ho considered the Hospital Board's pi£ posals worthless. They said: "If you want a hospital you can pay for it" VA ell, we can do that in any case. A HOSTILE PROPOSAL.

Tha chairman said tliat before th«y [ could raise £SOOO they would have to get the consent of the ratepayers, and' he was certtln they would not i« Pe to it. Mr. O'Brien held that £SOOO could be raised easily on a poll. Mr. Lawn brought up the question of severance. Mr. Fraser said they did not come there to talk severance. The people of the district could talk that themselves. Mr. Trotter said that he wa3 not particular regarding severance, but they wanted fair and just treatment; wnich. they had never received.

The chairman said the district was divided against itself. That was so, and the New Plymouth Hospital Board were taking advantage of the position. The whole commercial and agricultural life of the district had always been downed by the people of New Plvmouth, and he, for one, if something was not done was going to strike out. Tho chairman held that ft was only a waste of time 'to talk of building a separate hospital without getting 'the consent of the ratepayers. Mr. McEeynolds considered that tho building proposed by the Board could not be erected for less than £2500. Mr. O'Brien then moved: That in the opinion of this meeting of tne ratepayers and inhabitants of Egment County in public meeting assembled, the proposals of the Taranaki Hospital Board for the health of the people of the said County as now placed before this meeting are totally inadequate and unsatisfactory, and, that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Hon. Minister for Public Htalth. the aembet for ft*

district, and the Taraneki 'Hospital Board. Mr. Trotter seconded. Mr. Halcombe said that lie had no / idea the Taranaki Hospital Board *ere coming to the meeting to, bo insulted. Mr. Hickoy raised a point of order. It' was a public meeting, and they were %n* titled 'to express their opinions.

EXAMPLE OF TJRtJTI. Continuing, Mr. Halcombe said that he had been connected with the Uruti cottage hospital, the advantages of which. appealed to Mr. Mcßeynolds when a member of the Board. Urutl had failed half the cost of building that hospital. The Department had asked the Board to meet the Opunake people in regard to tho cottage hospital, and they tad come to the district for that punwse, and the Board had been aecusft of running away with their money. $Te understood that they were quite satisfied with the cottage hospital proposal until recently. ( Voices: No! Continuing, Mr. Halcombe said bo understood the Opunake people wire willing to subscribe as Uruti had dose, but now ithey wanted a complete hospital. They apparently did not realise! that if they started a small hospital it was going to cost nearly as much, as e»larger one. However, if they mated a main hospital the matter was in their own hands. There never had been any ill feeling displayed by the Board to* wards Opunake, or any other district* They had their own repreaentatiyii en the, Board, and, if not satisfied; way did they not kick them out and get some one else? The Board was willteg to do its best. In concluding, he ftenied that the Board was using their i*oneT ' for other districts. Mr. Mcßeynolds said that the people would be quite willing to be rate*. The secretary explained how the levy was made, and that they could not lew a speeial rate over a special area; Mr. O'Brien sa'd they wen not con- 1 cerned one jot with how the lerf was made, if they did not get an adedttate return. In reply to further questions, the - 6eo«' retary said that patients from ontsfde districts were charged Is per 9xf «d-i' ditional. > '

Mr. J Lawn {aid they had" been applying for years to get a cottage hospital but without success, ■ and *we thus unable to get a medical man to stop. The question wa» whether ttey ' would remain with New Plymouth or ' form a separate district. _ Mr. O'Brien asked Mr. Fraser whether he would accept the demands «f fl»' Nursing Association, and carry them. through in reasonable time, ft to. It would smooth matters. He dCaot want to injure New Plymouth In any A COMPROMISE. Mr. Hickey did not think the quotf of rates paid by Egmont were distributed tairly, as the man who paid rates wis treated in the same way as a stranger. Commenting on Mr. O'Brien's figures. Mr. Fraser said that from his expertake* these had no sense whatever. tie pointed out that the Department allowed the Board 5s per day for returned soldiers, and it cost the Board 8s Der day. *

, Mr. O'Brien Baid that his figures vera so plain that a child could understand them Dr. Watt had given him the'eeWmate for building a hospital, and he was an expert. The other flguie. were taken from records. Itr Campbell, one of Egmontfg representatives on the Board, asked Mr. 0 Bnen to withdraw his proposition. He thought the best way out of the difficulty was to meet the Boanj half-iray by setting up a committee to meet the* Mr. O'Brien asked whether the Board and such a committee would >ive the scheme due consideration. The chairman: Certainly. Bev. Strand, chairman of" the Nursing Association, said they now appeared to be getting towards finality. After letting off ateam, the only vital diffierMice was the question of the promects. He pointed out that the district suffered from its isolation. He felt that tf tfte Hospital Board's scheme could be enlarged by the addition of an ewtra ward, the demands of the place would be met tor years to come. Mr. O'Brien then withdrew hit roolu* >■ tion.

Mr. Fraser pointed out th»t a limit had been fixed. He-must admit that it was the first intention to include & tkfrd ward, but this had been delettd <m |o» score of finance. It was a question of how much the committee could proffie If they said they could raise- ft aetata siim, they would know where they wita He hoped the Nursing Association wouM hold a meeting and put the position before the Board as soon as possible _ Mr. O'Brien did not like the concluding remarks. Mr. Fraser lad gone back to his former position, and had requested Opunake to find more money. Mr. C. Andrews (member of the Board) pointed out that Opunake would have a maternity ward whioh New Plymouth did not have. Mr. Sinclair favored the money beioa raised by levy on the whole county, as otherwise the expense would again devolve on a few who always put their hands in their pockets.

A COMMITTEE SET UP. Mr. Campbell moved that a committee be formed. , r Mr :i' J m H, in seconding, considered Mr. OBnen had been wise in withdrawmg his resolution, as the people press* were mostly from the town. If they had not reconsidered the question they would, he was afraid, have left Opunake very much in the position that it was before, without a nurse and without a hospital. He would like to clear np the point raised that the Taranaki Hospital Board favored New Plymouth, which was fortunate in so far as it wag the centre. The Board had done a» much for the people of Egmont as for the people ot New Plymouth, who wtte given no extra consideration. The Board was certainly honest in its administration. If a poll was taken, he doubted if they would break away from the Taranaki Hospital Dihtrict, as people could not praiss too higlly tho treatment received at the New Plymouth ' Hospital.

Mr. O'Brien said that they should not depend on public subscription, but raise a levy over the whole county. The resolution was carried, and the following committee was set Up; Bevs Palmer and Strand, Messrs. M. O'Brien, T. H. H. Sinclair, and C. A. Trotter. Mr, Lawn asked why the question nf severance had been to long delay;:!. What force was required to bring it forward ? He thougbt the County Council would take the lead. The chairman said that the Council was neutral. Votes of thanks to the chairman, the members of the Hospital Board, and the chan terminated the meeting. The committee met subsequently, and it is understood that steps will be taken', to raise the money as soon as possible, ' The committee has already received itabstantial donations, and no difficulty i* felt regarding raising the required