The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1926. HOSPITAL POLICY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 25 March 1926, Page 6

The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1926. HOSPITAL POLICY.

According to Dr. Malcolm MacEachoni, M.D., D.Sc., a country’s hospitals arc its greatest asset. The provision made 1 by any community lor the prevention and cure of disease, is an index of the civilisation and intelligence of that community. Dr. MacEachern. who is Assistant, Director of the American College of Surgeons,, and Director of Hospital Activities, is making a. special report on the hospitals of New Zealand. Hence his views on hospital policy arc of considerable moment, particularly in South Canterbury where the policy of the Board has shown considerable, divergence on vital points from the accepted practice in other districts. It is interesting to note, therefore., the trend, of expert opinion in relation to certain vital phases of hospital administration, conduct and policy. Tentative recommendations of high importance to the hospital system of New Zealand, have, been recently referred to by Dr. Mac,Enc,hern. In the course of a chat in Wellington on Saturday this eminent authority i n hospitals said hisi recommendations would bei framed on these lines: That the number of hospital districts be docreased through the consolidation of certain of the existing districts. The retention of the honorary system of staffing, and the elimination of the present policy in some districts of employing full-time medical officers with dual functions.

The addition of paying wards to the existing public hospitals, so that others than the necessitous poor would be ablo to use the hospitals, and pay, as they should pay, for their treatment.

“There is practically no opposition among the medical profession of the South Island for community hospitals,” proceeded Dr. MacEachern. “It is my intention to recommend a, scheme that will result, in the use hv the hospital authorities of the brains of all the medical profession in each hospital district. At present this is not done. The honorary staffs are limited to a few specialists, and must be extended to permit the calling in, when required, of any doctor. In the matter of the paying wards, the patients should he allowed to be attended by their own doctors. The standard of work in the district, hospitals I found washigh, considering the facilities they had at their disposal. With more updo-date, equipment, ot course, it would he higher.” Dr. MacEachern makes no secret rf the fundamental basis of his reasoned deductions. “The watchwords should be service and cooperation ; co-operation between patient and doctor and nurse, and everybody else concerned in the vast organisation. If 'that is lacking, both sides—patients and healer's—suffer definitely by the loss.” The tentataive recommendations made by Dr. MncEuchern direct attention to the policy hitherto pursued by the Smith Canterbury Hospital Board. Tire question naturally arises how can complete, co-opera-tion be effected unless the services of the highly skilled specialists for which Timara is noted, arc part of the vast organisation, referred to by Di*. MacEachern, which has been created for the prevention and euro of disease? This phase of a question of vital importance to all sections of the community has evidently made a deep impression upon the medical superintendent, of the Tinra.ru hospital. Reporting to the Board yesterday, Dr. Parr offered (he following .suggestions under the heading “Medical Staff”: “A review of the present state of this question shows that the possible plans have been reduced to two: To remain as wo are, or, to appoint an honorary stall - . lam satisfied that the latter could he done without sacrificing any of the advantages we have in the former, provided that tho appointments are on the lines of my previous report, in which it was one of the alternatives sugesteil. It will he remembered that the control of the hospital was to he retained by tho Board, that all classes were to have free access to the services of the hospital. That those well able to pay could choose between emnloy'y; the full-time medical service or providing their own doctor, while those in less fortunate circumstances would have the services of both full-time and outside staffs. It would moan to tho public more variety of skilled service anil more satisfaction of personal fancies, and would enable tlm work of the hospital to go on increasing without calling on tho ratepayer for more funds for medical services. The provision of my fulltime services is ample protection for those on the ‘borderline’ financial position, and (he Board can afford to give the outside staff tho right to decline to treat, without fee, those in a position to pay. Protected in this way, a staff would not be working against its own interest, and could reasonably he expected to protect and advance tho good reputation of the hospital.”

Faced with idle lwonuuciiclat'ion.S' of onci of the highest. hospital authorities in the world, and having- before them the clearly defined sng-gestions of the medical superintendent, following- on the linos of expert conclusions, the Board lias now reached the cross roads whore phases of hospital policy of importance havo to he examined and decisions made. From the point of view of the community, as ]>r. MacEaehern most emphatically insists, “medicine is the greatest and most effective weapon that Jiuman knowledge and skill can place in the hands of human benevolence.” Hence it is the imperative duty of every citizen associated with local governing bodies responsible for the control and administration of institutions which are “the outward and visible signs of man’s sympathy and concern for his brother man,” to enunciate a policy which will afford patients the professional services of ihe highest medical and surgical skill available in the district.