Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 9, 9 August 1946, Page 4

Local and General

Red Cross Shop The Whakatane Branch of the Red Cross Society is holding a shop m the front of the Grand Theatre buildings today in support of the Food for Britain campaign. All persons wishing to donate produce or other goods are asked to leave them at the shop.

Lowering of Postal Rates A request to the Postmaster-Gen-eral to give favourable consideration to a review of postage and telegraph rates, which were increased as a wartime revenue measure, was made in the House of Representatives by Mr W. Sullivan (National, Bay of Plenty) in notice of question.

Maternity Nurse Shortage Commenting on the serious shortage of Maternity Nurses in Whakatane Mr F. Prideaux, secretary of the Whakatane Hospital Board, yesterday said that it seemed an unusual position that where some fifteen or twenty maternity trainees were trained in the institution each year there was no obligation on any one of them to remain and carry on with the work.

Hospital Statistics The following hospital figures for July were tabled by the Medical Superintendent (Dr. E. T. Dawson) at the August meeting of the Board yesterday: Patients in hospital at July 1, 94 (37 males, 57 females); patients admitted, 125 (42 and 83); discharged, 116 (35 and 81); deaths, 5 (1 and 4); patients in at July 31, 98 (43 and 5); births, 31 (17 and 14); operations, major 8, minor 54. Daily average occupied beds 91.65.

A Worthy Effort At the Waimana reception to returned servicemen of that district, which took place last Monday evening, -the Chairman, Mr R. F. Wardlaw intimated that the Waimana Patriotic Committee had raised throughout the war years, the sum of £6,000, and had farewelled 99 servicemen. Mentioning the approaching disbanding of the organisation, he said that he felt some regret that this should have to be done, as the body had served a very useful purpose in war, and in his opinion, could continue to do sojn peace.