HOSPITAL SYSTEM.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 9 April 1926, Page 10

HOSPITAL SYSTEM.

DR. McEACHERN’S REPORT. IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS. By Telegraph —Prrss Association. WELLINGTON, April 8. At tho conclusion ol Dr. M. T. MacEnclicrn’s tour of the Dominion, a conference was held here, when the distinguished visitor was met bv .he principal medical officers of the Department of Health, the executive of the New Zealand Hospital Boards Association, and reprosentatives hum each branch of the British Mcuieal Association. , . , , , Dr. MacEaehorn submitted a tentative summary of his report, which is divided into three parts, namely: (1) Commendatory lea fairer, of the New Zealand hospital system. (2) Deficiencies of the system. (3) Recommendations. Tho full report will be published later In tlm report submitted to the conference, -Dr. MacKoehcrn made a number of very definite recommendations a« follows : (!) Restricting the number of hospital districts, which to-day, be stated, were far too many. (2) A more uniform method of staffing hospitals, and especially tho abolition of the so-called “one man” system or dual superintendent, that is, where a. medical officer docs both clinical work and administrative work to the exclusion of all other doctors in the community. (3) Tlie establishment and development of the “community hospital” Bystem. . . . (4) The adequate training of full time hospital administrators in the Dominion. (5) The establishment and maintaining of bettor co-operation between hospital hoards, doctors, and the community in many places. A few other matters affecting policy were dealt with. A number of recommendations relating to general administration were touched on, and these will he discussed more fully later. Dr. MacEaehorn stated to-day that with the full measure of co-operation which should exist between the Health Department, hospital boards, doctors, and tho people, with the addition of the “community hosnitul” idea, the finest progress nn««ible is regard to t.be hospitals of New Zealand would be assured. WAIKATO BOARD PREFERS EXISTING SYSTEM. By Telesraph—Press Asioclation HAMILTON, April 8. ALirious expressions of suustaction witli tho present system of hospital control were made by members ol the Waikato Board to-day. despite the remarks of Dr. MacEadiern, tlie visiting American physician relative to tlie benefits of running a Hospital with an honorary staff. .Members considered the existing system a- better one. Speaking with reference to remarks alleged to be made by Sir Lindo Ferguson at the recent conference of the noepitals Association m Dunedin, that Hospital Boards were incompetent to select medical superintendents for hospitals, several members cited the position of Waikato Hospital as an adverse commentary on Dr. Ferguson’s assertion, and it was claimed that Dr. Ferguson had met with a merited rebuke trom the Minister of Health for his statement.