The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-10-15
FREE HOSPITALS.

ttiE DlFllIAlS.
The Maui News speeks i'm favor of "a
free ward iu the Waikiki Hospital 1t
Is an excellent suggestion and when
county government is obtained there
will be fun opportunity fer raising the
funds for conducting a regular county
hospital. THAT there should be a free
hospital upon each Island and, when
divided into counties, In each county,
goes without saying. The Maui News
only voices a long felt want
Honolulu with its population Of 40, 900
people and its constantly shifting sea
port population has no free hospital,
hut is dependent upon a hospital Of q
semi-public nature where only one class
of the population are treated free, and
all others have to pay or be paid for by
private benefacuons. This has long
been a standing grievance. The ques-
ton of pay is always an element in adj
hitting a patient other than Hawaiian
into the Queens Hospital.
That there are free beds is true.
They have been endowed by individuals
or societies and to gain access to them
requires certain formalities to be gone
through and certain nomination to be
made. The authorities of the Queens
Hospital are not to blame for the re-
strictions placed upon the Hospital. 1t
was founded long ago when the popu-
iation was entirely different from what
it is now, and when conditions existed
which do not now exist. In its day it
was a wonderful advance upon the then
existing conditions. There was no hos
pital to which Hawaiians could go.
There was what was known as the
american Hospital which was kept
up by the United States Government,
but this was for the benefit Of the whal-
ing fleet, ostensibly, though pecuniarily
it proved to be a gold mine to certain
officials.
Kamehameha " and Queen Emma
used their best endeavors, and these
were crowned with rlccess to establish
a free hospital for Hawaiians. There
was no talk Of admitting foreigners at
the time of the foundation the hospital.
writer
is informed. When the American Hos
pital ceased to be there was naturally
a demand for some place to which sail
Ors could be sent. The death of the
whaling industry sounded the tocsin Of
the American Hospital. But the sugar
industry sprang up, and a constantly
increasing fleet of carriers began to
frequent the port The Queens Hos
pital was enlarged in order to meet this
demand, and the pay system for for
eigners established.
AS long as the patients came from a
class which had people who would be
responsible for Them this system work.
ed well enough, though captains did
complain that they had to pay the hos
pital tax and then were obliged to pay
for their sick men as well. But there
came a time when patients asked for
admittance to the Queens Hospital
who had no responsible person to back
them, and then came great difficulties.
The charitable societies were burdened
down with the cost Of maintaining peo-
pie who had no means, in the hospital.
This was in a measure alleviated by
the endowment of free beds under the
control either of individuals or of the
several charitable societies.
But though the number of free beds
has gradually increased, it by no means
meets the demand, and there are many
people, especially those in official posi-
lions who have a heavy drain upon
their private purses through giving
assistance to what may be classed as
the stranded sick" Such are the con-
ditions now. In the past these condi-
tions did not exist, nor could the foun-
ders of the Queens Hospital forsee the
enormous change which took place
twenty-five years after they had
planned their work and the still great
err change which has kept coming on
till we are faced with the change of the
opening year of the new century.
The subject is one of vital Importance
to the well being of the community. 1t
can only be met by public action.
whether the Queens Hospital can be
so modified as to charter that it can
he used as a public institution is for
the lawyers to decide. 1t may or 1t
may not be- but a free public institu-
ton we must have.