Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-07-02
why PALAMA
HOSPITAL MAY CLOSE
Duplication OF Work For
Which the Queens
Provides

TeT1es I1oiht, EIcSiueH' vi ine
Board of Trustees has made a state.
ment covering the reasons for closing
the Palama General hospital. This
puts the facts before the public as
against many false statements that
have been made:
That the Palama General Hospital
will close at the end of August has not
as yet been definitely decided. but is
now under consideration by the Board
of Trustees.
The following facts concerning the
hospital and its work may be of inter
est to the friends Of the institution:
The hospital was originally started
by the Chinese, the land being given
by the government and the money for
most of the buildings being raised by
subscription among the white AMI
Chinese merchants and private indiyid.
uals. 1t was conducted for many years
largely by the Chinese, but owing to
their steadily decreasing numbers and
the heavy expense attending its opera.
ton, they decided to give It up some
two years ago. At that time II was
represented that II was filling a needed
place in the community. and II certain
repairs were made and the hospital
thrown open to all nationalities II
could be run at moderate outlay.
During the past two years several
thousand dollars have been spent In
improvements and repairs, and sew.
eral trained nurses employed and
everything done to bring the hospital
and its equipment up to a high stand
ard of efficiency. The results have
been quite gratifying, the number OF
patients at the hospital averaging from
ten to eighteen most of the time.
There have been large number of
successful operations performed by
various surgeons Of the city, and With.
out exception the treatment and care
of patients has been highly satisfac.
tory to the physicians who have had
patients there.
The expense. however, Of conducting
the institution has been large. averag-
ing about four hundred dollars per
month over and above all receipts. II
has also been found that the hospital
has to quite an extent come into com.
petition with the Queens Hospital. and
that most of the patients treated at
Palama could have been treated equal
ly as well at the Queens. In this re
spect, therefore, It Is duplicating the
work of the Queens Hospital. which
Is so well able to care for all those In
need Of a hospital. This Is doubly true
since the Queens has opened its gen.
eral wards to all the physicians of the
city, and a patient IL not compelled to
engage a private room II he wishes his
own physician to treat him, as was
the case two years ago.
In a few months the Children's Hos
pital will be completed and well equip
ped to treat and care for children OF
all nationalities, having both private
rooms and public wards. As II Is locat
ed with In mile of Palama, It will
naturally tend to draw that class o
patients from Palama, and such an In
stitution should receive the support
Of the community In every way pos
sible.
The above named facts seem to tn,
management strong reasons why It |,
unnecessary to longer conduct the Pa
lama Hospital. There are SO man,
worthy institutions on these Island,
that need the support Of all those abb,
to give It that II seems unwise to duplI
cate work that is now being well con
Quoted, II seems evident that tn,
amount of money which II now take
to carry on the Palama Hospital coul,
accomplish more good to the CON
munity II spent In preventive work
such as the settlements are doing witt
their dispensaries. pure milk depots
and district nurses. There Is ais
much that should be done In the lin
OF preventing the spread OF tubercr
losis and providing means to hel
those in the first stages OF this dis
ease. These lines of preventive wor
appeal very strongly to those interest
ed In the support Of the hospita
However, If 1t is made plainly eviden
that the city needs such an institutio
as the Palama Hospital, and the phi,
sicians and others interested can d.
monstrate that 1t would be distint
loss to the community to have
closed, the trustees are ready and will
ing to consider It's continuance for al
nj har yaar