This Observer cartoon was headed: "The Board is well pleased with the Doctor in the Arnaboldi affair, when the Public sided with the Nurse."
This Observer cartoon was headed: "The Board is well pleased with the Doctor in the Arnaboldi affair, when the Public sided with the Nurse."
Margarita Arnaboldi was a trainee nurse at Auckland Hospital who turned whistleblower to report the medical superintendent, Dr Floyd Collins, for negligence in his treatment of two patients who died.
The hospital board responded with the standard tactics of dealing with people who speak uncomfortable truths: it censured Arnaboldi, withoutbothering to listen to her story, and then tried to sweep the whole thing under the carpet.
But the Herald led a campaign to demand a proper investigation of Arnaboldi's claims. In a stinging editorial it said two men had died of injuries from which most people recovered. Arnaboldi alleged they were not properly treated. Was she right or wrong? And if right was Collins to blame?
The public wanted answers and it eventually got them from the independent inquiry the Herald had demanded, which concluded she was right, Collins had been negligent and he was forced to resign.
But Arnaboldi paid a price too, as she also resigned after the inquiry accused her of "espionage".
The public, however, expressed their gratitude, presenting her with a bag of sovereigns and a citation which said the investigation "proved the correctness of your allegations beyond all dispute".
More than a century later we make Margarita Arnaboldi New Zealander of the Year for the shining example she set for whistleblowers down through the ages.
