Hospital Statistics

Chronicle (Levin), 6 July 1948, Page 6

Hospital Statistics

' ' The daily avpragq oceupied ' bed fignre for the maia hospital fepHamB high, ' ' :said the -inedical supprintendent to the Palmerston North. Hospital Board (Mr. J. H. North) in liis repdrt to the board yesterday. ' During the month it was necessary to reduee admissions again to allow of sufl|ciettt aecQniinodation for eases of inffnii|e patralysia should they oecur in aay nuinber i'n this district! During May'another case'of infatitile' paralysis- was admitted and sinee the end of the month there have been' five further eases . qdmitte'd- and there has been o'ne death. ' ;;; ; "The maternity Ijome accommodation I'emains fully occupied and the bopkings reiiVain heavy. Ward II is in ednstant lise as a Baaternity ward and the loss bf this ward from the gener'aj , hospital' beds inevitably means . an inereased period of waiting for patients with nonurgent cbmpiainis. There has b.een a slow but steady risq in thp number of patients waiting adniission over the past tweive, months and.it would appear that this position must become, progressively , worse until further maternity home accommodation is maiie available in Palmerston North. ' ' The Nurses ' Home accommodation is the subject of a special reporf. Oue to more of the trained staff' having" to live in the hospital, where .previously they lived out, and to the increase in tlie maternity , accommodation at the hospital, au acute probleUi has arisPn to accoiiiinodate the in'coming, classes of nurses. • "Miss Iv. S. Galpraith, physiotherapist in charge of this departihent, has iesigned to take up private pfactice after some 18 years ' service with th'e. board. Mrs. G. Lb Gpi'don has^takpn a part-tiine position in this- department. This department has been depieted .of staff during the past ypaf. From a normal staff of se-ven tlie department will be do wn to a |taff pf three fulltime and oue part-tiine after Miss Galbraith leaveS. ■ Posts have been udvertised but 110 appiications have so far been received from outsido' the hospital staff. It will be necessary to consider a reduction in the work of this department for out-patients unless" the staff position can be itnprovedi"' In connection with Mr. North 's report regarding the staffing pf the physiotlierapy department, it xvas decided to inquire from the Hospital Boards' Association what was being done in the niatter of salaries for masseurs in the eniploy of hospital boards. It was stated that tlie association had been negotiating the qucstion of salaries for masseurs with the department for 12 months. Mr. North presented the followipg statistics for May:-r— Patients aduiittp/1, during May -142, discliarged 4J5, died 28, rentaining 314, daily averagq of occupied beds 318.84. . Infectious ..diseAses: ;Hcarlet fever, admitted 2, remaining 2; infantiie paralysis, 1,, 2. • , Admitted: Palmerston North 51, Foxton 10, Otaki 19, Feilding lls Births: Palmerston North qO, 'Foxton 10, Otaki 15, Feilding 11. • I(eniaining: Palmerston! North;, motlipi'S::42#-babes 14; Foxton, (i, 6; Otaki, ..4, 4-; Feilding, 6, 7. Daily average occupied. beds: Palmerston North 21.74, Fp.Yton -3.09, Otaki 7.7, Feilding 5.22. ; Iqeluded in the; .Palmerston North materuity^honie iigurcs are the eases transferred from the maternity. home to Ward 1 1 after conlineiuent. Twentyseven such - eases oecurred during May with an average oqcupied bed ligure of 9.77 maternity patients in the maia hospital.