The Conversion of the Auxiliary Hospitals into Independent Commands
Finally it became obvious that the mechanism was becoming too complicated, i.e. that the administration of all these hospitals from the Palace Hotel, and the keeping of the records at the Palace Hotel, had become impossible. It was accordingly decided to separate them and make them independent commands. This arrangement was completed about the middle of August, but it involved a fresh crop of difficulties. It was quite necessary that some one should meet the trains and allot the patients to the various hospitals. That was a comparatively simple matter. It was necessary that the hospitals should be properly staffed, and that those who administered them should receive proper rank, in other words that there should be a definite establishment. This necessitated a reference to the Australian Government, and consequently difficulties and delays.
The valuable and almost essential part played by the Australian Branch British Red Cross, in effecting the expansion and in preventing a disaster, will be referred to in the chapter on the Red Cross.
The following table indicates the nature of the increasing demand on the hospital accommodation:
Growth of the Hospital (First Australian General)
Hospital opened on January 28
| Venereal and | |||
| Infectious Cases | |||
| Feb. 13 | 186 | cases | 358 cases |
| Feb. 15 | 200 | cases (39 Ophthalmic and aural cases) | 351 " |
| Feb. 25 | 324 | cases (including 51 special cases) | 422 " |
| March 1 | 477 | cases, 46 special cases | 404 " |
| March 15 | 532 | " 57 " " | 476 " |
| April 1 | 596 | " 64 " " | 283 " |
| April 15 | 567 | " 52 " " | 429 " |
| April 28 | 479 | " 57 " " | 433 " |
| April 29 | 631 | " 57 " " | 478 " |
| April 30 | 1,082 | " 49 " " | 469 " |
| May 1 | 1,324 | (286 patients discharged) | 456 " |
| May 2 | 1,465 | (213 patients discharged) | 462 " |
| May 3 | 1,492 | 453 " | |
| Patients admitted to July 31, 1915 | 13,325 | ||
| Deaths | 102 | = 0·76 per cent. | |
Largest number of patients admitted on any one day (June 8, 1915):
| Australians | 408 | |
| New Zealanders | 85 | |
| British | 325 | |
| Officers | 10 | |
| —— | ||
| 828 | ||
| —— | ||
| June 9 | 219 | |
| —— | ||
| 1,047 | in two days. | |
| ===== |
Sick and wounded received at the First Australian General Hospital at the end of April:
| April 28 | 195 |
| April 29 | 469 |
| April 30 | 529 |
| May 1 | 354 |
| —— | |
| Total | 1,547 |
| —— |
Surveying in retrospect this anxious and troublesome period, the outstanding feature is the mistake made in the constant assumption that the hospital expansion was temporary. It was stated that Luna Park would only be wanted for a few weeks; the Dardanelles campaign would soon be over, Luna Park would not then be wanted, and could be closed, consequently heavy expenditure on it was deprecated. Furthermore the experience gained makes it obvious that in war the Service cannot include too many medical officers—preferably juniors. The demand for their services here and there is practically unlimited. They should be young and unattached to any particular unit—in fact a junior reserve on the spot.
It should be remembered that the expansion of No. 1 Australian General Hospital was effected under the personal direction of the officer commanding, Lieut.-Colonel Ramsay Smith, who inspected all new buildings, gave his approval or disapproval, and was responsible for their efficient equipment when converted into hospitals.