5

CHAPTER II.

Hospitals and Dispensaries.

1. ADVISORY COMMITTEES FOR HOSPITALS.

   Advisory Committees for hospitals are now a feature of medical admi-
nistration in all provinces, though their scope and composition varies,
and except in Delhi Province they do not exist in the Centrally Admi-
nistered Areas.

   The principal function of these Committees is to keep the head of the
provincial medical department and the local Government informed of
the needs of the hospitals as viewed by the public and they aim at
maintaining touch with the Medical Department on the one hand and
the public on the other. They enquire into the working of the institu-
tions and advise on all matters connected with the welfare of the
hospital, the comfort and well-being of the patients and in some cases
management and control of accounts. These Committees have no execu-
tive authority, for the entire supervision and management of the institu-
tion and its establishment are in the hands of the Medical Officer in
charge of the hospital subject to the control of the Provincial Admi-
nistrative Medical Officer.

   2. In a note on the Madras Medical Department, Major-General Sir
Frank Connor writes "The reports received on the working of these
Advisory Committees during my term of office show, with few exceptions,
that these committees have not been working satisfactorily. The District
Medical Officers complain that it is difficult at many meetings to get a
quorum. General apathy is one reason for this state of affairs, but
another important reason is the failure of the administration to carry
out the majority of the recommendations made by them; this results very
naturally in their losing interest. The reason for this failure is, in the
majority of cases, the inadequacy of finance made available by Govern-
ment.

   "An improvement in the working of Advisory Committees in the City
of Madras is noticeable. Non-official members have been taking greater.
interest in ascertaining the requirements of hospitals, with the result that
many useful suggestions have been made and accepted by the Surgeon-
General. It is to be hoped that this improvement will extend to mofussil
areas and that more money will soon be available to activate proposals
for improvements made by Advisory Committees."

   3. The Visiting Committees for State institutions in Bengal are
appointed by Government and consist of officials as well as non-officials.
The Managing Committees for private hospitals are appointed with the
sanction of the Commissioner of the Division and consist of non-officials
except for the District Magistrate or Sub-Divisional Officer and Civil
Surgeon who are ex-officio members.