HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 75, 23 May 1944, Page 6

HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION

CHAIRMAN'S ANNUAL REVIEW WIDE SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES NEW BUILDING SCHEME The following' is the report by the chairman, Mr L. Buddie, covering the year's activities of the Whakatane Hospital Board and 1 was read at the annual meeting helld recently:—■ "At this, the last meeting of the Board as at present constituted, it is my duty to give a report on the Board's activities since Ii have been privileged to act as your chairman and at the same time to express my views upon several matters relative to the Board's work, the work of the hospital and problems and matters facing the new Board in the future. At the outset I will bring to mind the somewhat sudden increase during -recent years in the number of daily occupied beds at the hospital, or in other words the; increasing number of patients being treated, for it is that increase that has created difficulties both for the Board in policy matters and for the staff in matters of administration. Our own position in that respect has by no means been singular, for most Boards have experienced a like increase in patients and have 1 had to face the task of providing more accommodation. I(n the latter part of 1941' i : t jwas apparent to the Board that further accomodation was necessary. In January 1942 Messrs Natusch and Sons of Napier were appointed architects and were instructed to prepare sketch plans. The preparation of preliminary sketch plans" may perhaps be thought a comparative!y simple matter but throughout the progress of hospital planning there -"I* the continual necessity for reconciliation of the views and opinions of (e) the Board's architect, (b) hos-> staff, (c) Health Department meciic'arpart:irH-&e-tm i aJ. .juicL technical staffs, (d) Public Works Department and (e) Board members. One also realises that the provision for further accommodation for patients may and often does; necessitate further accommodation and facilities in other matters. Probable future requirements to meet probable future development have to be thought of. The provision of accommodation ahead of present and probable future requirements, as far as the latter can be gauged, is It necessarily takes time and much consideration for the completion of plans for any major works and particularly so for works of additions to an existing institution, the growth of which is creating new problems during the period of planning. There have been delays in the completion of the plans for additions to our institution but I feel that I can honestly state that any delays have not been on the part of the Board. During the past year there have been 32 meetings (of Board and Committees) and members have attended ordinary and special meetings well and taken an active interest in the development of the. plan work. All plans and specifications have been approved and tenders were called resulting in the necessity to either borrow more money or. to modify the works to enable additions to be constructed "within the- present loan authority. The modified proposal has been approved by the Minister of Health and by the Local Bodies Loans Board and matters are now in order for the letting of the contract.

There have however been substantial objections made against the Board's proposal. No material objection has been made to the provision of further accommodation, the need for which is apparent and has been admitted by objectors. The objections have been based upon financial considerations. Ratepayers feel and feel very strongly, not only in this district but throughout the Dominion, that the time has arrived when hospitals should be financed by some system other than that which has been in operation for years past. Hospital treatment, is now provided free to all who may need it. Ratepayers contend that the cost of maintaining the hospitals in which that free treatment is given should fall solely upon the public purse per medium of the Social Security Fund and not as it is now, and has been part on the public purse and part on property owners per medium of local body rates. Re;presentations have been made to the Government to alter the system to the relief of ratepayers.. The Government, through its Ministers, has issued statements to the effect that no alteration is to be made. The argument continues and gives promise of continuing. In the meantime the need for further accommodation at our hospital is pressing—it has alrea iy become urgent. Soldiers who left from this district have returned —ctiiers wiil ue turning, a certain proportion o wh m will doubtless i ed t; i atuie :. i ou . n.titution The !;•; > •„ . y y Jias s ,;od limi y • at is and must

be admitted to be the duty of a Hospital Board, viz. from time to time to provide hospital accommodation as necessary for the needs of the populace of the hospital district. I will now briefly deal with several matters which have, been attended to during the term of office of this Board. (a) After what is now commonly referred to as "Pearl Harbour" and the progress of. Japan in the S.W. Pacific, hospital protection work was attended to and a hospital section of the E.P. Organisation was developed. Instructions on various matters relative thereto were received from the Health Department, and a list of protective works decided; by the committee prescribed by the regulations. Those works were performed and trials of personnel were made. We record with thankfulness that the need for testing the efficiency of. those arrangements did not eventuate. (b) During the many occasions on which "\ve were called upon to sider the E.P. arrangements it became apparent that even apart from war risks, but much more so because of those risks, the hospital should be provided with an alternative water supply and electric plant in case of. mishap to the Borough supplies of those commodities. With regard to water, a bore was put down, two suitable, flows (so far as quantities were concerned) were obtained but tests and analysis proved that the water was not suitable for hospital purposes without treatment. The bore has been sealed and may at some future date be brought to use. The matter 'of another alternative or emergency supply, is now under consideration. With regard to electricity the Board's Consulting Engineer made full enquiry for a suitable, plant but at that time the Government was requisitioning all lighting plants for military camps throughout the Dominion. The enginer ultimately located a plant which he thought could be suitably converted into a stand-by or emergency plant. After consideration of his report and in KiftW. then war risk the Board gave the The plant was eventually installed unci has already been of service on sunn dry occasions. (c) Milk supply matters have engaged the Board's attention to a large extent. The increased demand for milk at the hospital has been considerably beyond the production from the cows which the Board's property was capable of carrying. Consideration was given to the acquisition of more land for the purpose—the Health Department was not favourable, to an extension of the Board's farming operations. Various proposals for the hospital milk supply have been considered and finally with the approval of the Dairy Inspector a contrast has been entered into with a nearby farmer. The arrangement appears to be working satisfactorily.

(d) Vegetable production for the increasing hospital population has likewise been the subject matter of considerable time, and attention. The garden has not produced sufficient of all classes of vegetables. Milk production on the Board's property hailing ceased, more ground is now available for vegetable production. The Board has under consideration the making of arrangements for considerable garden extension. It is proposed that the alternative water supply mentioned in an early part of this report will provide an adequate supply for watering the garden. in dry weather.

(e) After the demolition of the old tennis court a few years ago there were, no' recreational facilities for the nursing staff. The two concrete tennis courts which we have had constructed have filled that want. I must now make reference to tuberculosis matters. For some few years past Dr. H. Short as parttime Tuberculosis Officer has been visiting this district and tuberculosis cases and suspects, and assisting and advising generally in the diagnosis and control thereof. We have recently received Dr Short's resignation. The Waikato Board intends to appoint, or perhaps may now been appointed, a Tuberculosis Officer and we have been given to understand that Ave may arrange for periodical visi Is from that Board's Officer to carry on the work which Dr Short will relinquish at the end of June next. From figures recently published it is apparent that the incidence of tuberculosis has increased to considerable proportions. It is likewise apparent that it will continue to increase unless the problem in all its aspects is taken well in hand. I say "in all its aspects" advisedly. The provision of hospital and sana* corium accommodation for the. treatment. of cases now existent is no loubt necessary but at the same time attention must seriously be paid to the matters of housing, proper lo.id ar.d clothing and right and 11 living ami above all to the 'ue.it (-n of t.io. populace not only u -. ;.v s l.u i)urticulai\y to ' v ■ u.jo • .-ni-

Board was represented by the 1 Medical Superintendent, the. Secretary and myself at the conferencc called by the Department of Health and held in Auckland to consider reports and proposals for the control of tuberculosis. It was indeed an interesting conference. Representatives of nine of the Boards attending the conference held a preliminary meeting the day before and were unanimous in the opinion that the. control of tuberculosis should be dealt with as a national matter. That opinion w r as confirmed by the conference the following day. The conference referred a proposal for the establishment of a sanatorium for the South Auckland district to the Boards concerned. No further meeting of delegates from those, Boards has so far been convened.

We have, no Chest Block at our hospital. In the past, tuberculosis cases have been segregated from other cases. Last year however the number of tuberculosis patients has increased and on account of the general congestion at the hospital it was found necessary to open Isolation Block for the treatment of those cases. The result is that we have no accommodation immediately * available for other infectious cases and we can only hope that the district will not suffer any epidemic in the near future. We have recently received from the Health Department notification of Cabinet's decision to pay the cost of erection of and equipment for a 20i-.bed Chest Block and of accommodation for 8 nurses for same. Under the. proposal, the cost of niaintenan.ee of that Block would fall on the Board in the same way as other maintenancel tfosts, the Board receiving for each patient 9/- per day from the Social Security Fund. I have, previously referred to the fact that an increase of accommodation for patients may necessitate the provision of other accommodation and facilities. The* establishment of the Chest Block will increase the consumption of steam and hot water. The matter of increased boiler capacity and possibly increased laundry plant has; to be considered. It will be for the new Board to investigate the pros and cons of and deal with the. whole proposal.

The ambulance which was procured by public subscription, and presented to the Board a few years ago has proved a boon, to the .(listr.ict. I wish to pay 'special tribute to the St. John's Ambulance Brigade for assistance given in the. ambulance work—gratis. The members are a willing and energetic band of workers and their efforts are appreciated by one and. all.

This report would be incomplete without reference also to the assistance given to the hospital! by the Red Cross V.A.Ds. trained so ably by Mrs F. Prideaux. Those ladies often at personal inconvenience have frequently assisted and done good service in the nursing work during periods of staff shortages.

The thanks of the Board, staff and patients will very shortly be due to the H.G. Mounted Squadron which on, disbanding informed the Board that £264 would be made available to the Board for the purchase of heated food trollies for the conveyance of patients' meals to the wards. Two trollies were, immediately ordered and should ®arrive here at an early date.

Appreciation is also expressed for the many donations of books, fruit and vegetables etc. throughout the period.

,In conclusion T desire to thank the hospital staff, the Acting Secretary and Board members for all assistance given throughout the past term. The Superintendent, Matron and staff have given good service, at all times and especially during periods when administrative and nursing work have been rendered more arduous by reason of overcrowding. The Acting Secretary,, acting for the secretary, Colonel F. Prideaux, wiio wa§ granted extended leave of absence for military service, has been a tower of strength in all matters pertaining to policy and business matters. We Board members at times have had our differences of opinion on policy matters, but withal for the most part Ave hav(; worked as a team for the common good.