HOSPITAL TRUSTEES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 440, 24 February 1909, Page 4

HOSPITAL TRUSTEES.

UPKEEP OF CHRONIC CASES.

.The question of tho upkeep of chronic; casos,- which has been a constantly-recurring cause of perplexity to charitable bodies ill many .parts of the Dominion,! was .before riieHospital Trustees at a meeting held yesterday morning./ Thb chairman, Mr. R. 1 C. Kirk, said that a conference was being arranged between tho Hon.' 0., M. 'Luke' and Mr. G. London, re-presenting-the trustees, himself, as'chairman of the .Charitablo Aid Board, and.'possibly Mr. J. P. Luko, chairman, of the. District .Hospital Board, to go into this matter. It luid been suggested that tho upkeep of chronic invalids was not a proper charge on the Hospital Board's funds, and should be borne by the Charitable Aid Board. In that case, tho Trustees would need to modify their returns to discriminate betweon the expense of. chronic. cases and of ordinary 'patients.: Some . agreement might be,reached .between tho trustees and tho Charitable Aid: Board by which the board would pay a fixed sum per annum or per week for. each incurable patient. He suggested: that . the secretary, should' report to the Finance Committee as soon as- ipossibls. tho actual cost of upkeep of chronic cases by,the.trustees. : Thfe conference would. then. be able to decide . ,what was a , fair and. reasonable amount .for the Charitable Aid Board, to pay to the trust-ees in respect of such case's, and the Hospital Board would not have to find that amount in future. ; . • In reply to qu'estiousj the-chairman stated that ; the cost of inmates of the Victoria I Home was alone concerned. He did not think that; the Charitable Aid Board should pay for the medical attendance of these patients, but the cost of their provisions, nursing,, and general 'maintenance might be considered a fair charge upon. .: The secretary • was instructed to prepare a report. - In reply to a question he stated that. ..the average-cost of indigent, chronic cases in tho Victoria Homo was less than that .of ordinary hospital, patients., V * . . .The House Committee, reported the receipt of a lotter .from the secretary of the. "Wellington Bands' Hospital Saturday and Sunday Committee, enclosing a chequo for. £290, being the net amount of tShis year's collection. together with-last .year's hotels' contribution.: The committee also acknowledged the receipt from Mr.. D. F. Jones, hon. secretary, of the Hospital Sunday Committee,; l'etone, of. 1 a communication notifying the payment; into the credit of the Hospital Trustees'; account at the Bank of New..Zealand, . Wellington, of the sum of £49 145., being : the hot proceeds of the second .'annual Saturday .and Sunday collection in Petono. ■ The recoih-," mended that the assistant, dispenser's salary bo increased, dating from March .10; that the memorandum -of, lease in triplicate' from, the; 'Hospital Trustees to Agnes Whyte, and tho surrender , of . lease . No. 1660'. be executed. The report'was adopted, and it was;decided to ; . thank the Wellington \and Petone' committees,; and congratulated them on the:.suc--cess of their efforts.

It was reportedi that the number• of patients "in tlio general, hospital was : 185 (110 males and 75 females), as compared witli .191.at the same time last'year;-.ln.the Hospital :thero .were. 20 -malo and -19 fomale patients, and in the Seddon Hospital 15. male and ;5 female patients; making a, grand; 1 total- of 244 patientsas.', against 260 at this time last year. , '

; Tho'.statflme'nt.of• receipts and. expenditure showed.; a credit -balance of £1895 : lis. 3d. Accounts;, were passed for payment, .to : the amount of £903 2s. 3d.

. On 'the ; recommendation. of .. -the Finance Cominittee it; .was .'decided that Mr. James Lockio's. offer i, to purchase;the reversionary interest -in his lease be declined, . and-that, owing .to special circumstances,', Mrs. .Dutton be granted a' reduction, in lier rent to £35 a year for the first ,term ;of "14 years. •- ; • v:.lt'.was- decided', to instruct the architects "Jo. furnish estimates as -reliable, as possible of the cost of, completion . of the . plans 'approved by Dr. Frengley, District /Health Officer, for hospital.extensions.,. .; 'i

.« There -were present-;at -the. meetjngT'-Messrs. JR.i 0. Kirk' (iri :"tho' chair); '6.: London,'.. 3, ■M'Ewan; "W. Hales} G. Nash, and J. Rodd.