THE NAPIER HOSPITAL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 164, 13 August 1929, Page 4

THE NAPIER HOSPITAL.

H. O. LEE.

. To the Editor. Sir, — Owing to aclverse critieisms which have beeu made publicly regardmg tlie general conduct of the Napier fl.ospital, and in view of an unfortuuately rather wiclespread distrust oi the hospital on the part of inany people, I eon.sider it to be my duty to give your readers some first- Land inionnation about this very valuable and estimable institution. Eor the past eiglit weeks I have been respectively an imnate and an out-patient; also in the care of Nurse Cassin, the district nurse. 5Iv aililient was a trifle, veJ- the detailed care ancl attention 1 ic-ceived were such that could not liave liren excqlled had 1 been a wealthy lieart patient in his own home. I have met many grateful patientg who arC unable to state their gratitude in words or in writing, so I take this opportunity of expressing keen appreciation of all that was done for them. Each patient, wliether rieh or poor, receives a detailed attention from the superintendent and his medical staff, including the kincl honorary staff who devote a large portioii of their time to hospital patients , also from the matrort and her nurses ; whilst there is a personal tone of kindly syinpathy shown, which goes a long way towards eheering the -patients up and helping their recovery. I assure your readers that they have only to reside in the hospital a few days for them to realise what wonderful people the doctors and nurses are aud to appreciate tlie big work wliicli is being done at the hospital, and I assume that all liospitals for the reliel of woeful liunian sulferiligs. I ain sure that if some of our healthy aud well-to-do residents would visit the hospital a few times, they would be moved to tears 011 tlie oue liand and aclmiration 011 the other, wliicli would result in many mpre bequests to emulate the exaniple of those 'who have already done so niuch -for the sick and suffering of Hawke's Bay. The only serious defect this great wGrk has is sbortage of doctors, nurses, accoiiimoclation aild funds. The whole staff is 01 erworked. To . those who require hospital treatment,- let nie asuure tliem that the Napier Hospital is an ideal place. The situation and outlook over tlie bay and mountains, the fine position of its wards to catch every bit of sunshine, the care and attention which money could not buy and only a vacatiou can inspire, the eheery songs ancl laughter from the carefree kiddies' warcl long before sunrise to liiake one forget one's own troubles, the abundance of good and varied food, excellently cooked, tlie well-Gquipped heating and water service, the good bedding, everytbing in fact which could be desired, make the hospital true to the term " a place of kindness and care of the sick," and reflCcts great credit upon tlie whole management from the honorary board down, I have investigated some coiilplaints, but found them to be caused by a ba3 liver or the ordinary fretting of. sick persons against necessarv restraints and regulations. Small mistakes 01* oversiglits niay oceur, but they are the result of tlie human element and are to be met with ili ' every organisatfon, large or small. I movfi about a great deal amongst all kinds of people ancl plaees, but 1 iliust admit that I -had no iclea of the - work a hospital has to do, or of tlie ainount of suffering and sickneSs to be seen in such a small place. Many other persons have expressed their appreciation with hearts much more full tlian miue, when after much suffering and perhaps even after years of attention ancl care, a patient passes over, when the cloctor and nurses see the skill and loviilg care of montlis go unavailing, even as an artist sees a masterpiece clestroyed- — we then l'ead in the paper the poignant little liiessage from those bereaved, a little message fraught with such appeal if tlie pilblie could only realise What it owes to tlie tcedical profession aiid to liospitals. I 11111 sure there are thousands who do not realise this, so T trust that inv expression of appreciation may do a little towards awakening more interest ni this nohle institution. Tliaiiking

you. — I am etc.,

Hastings, August 10, 1929.