BACTERIOLOGICAL WORK

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2413, 19 March 1915, Page 3

BACTERIOLOGICAL WORK

PROFIT TO THE HOSPITAL BOARD. Dr. J. A. Hurley, Government- Bacteriologist, reported as follows to the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday:— "During the year ending Decemhcr .31 last 1876 examinations were made for tlie Wellington Hospital. These and the examinations made for the Government, for other hospitals, arid for medical practitioners amounted to 4500 examinations, which is an increase of 15 per cent, on the number made by this laboratory during the previous year. Although the amount of work coming in is satisfactory, and the staff is kept busy. I there is one direction ill whicn something should bo done to increase work. 1 refer to examinations which might be made for a class of patients for whom at present very few examinations are made. This class comprises those who are not sufficiently well off to pay full fees, and yet will not apply to the board for free examinations. "I would recommend that the board issue to medical practitioners packets of ten tickets for £5 on the understanding that these tickets are only to be used for this class of patients. Each ticket would pay for an examination that at the present scale would cost more than 10s. 6d. A few exceptions, however, would require to be made. Two tickets would be required to pay for the preparation of a simple vaccine, or for a cell count of the blood Certain other examinations of the blood that at present cost £1 10s. 6d. or £3 3s. would require to remain for , the present at these fees. This arrangement would enable this class of patients to have examinations made at nearly the halffee rate paid by public hospitals for examinations." The board decided that the recommendations contained in the report should be adopted. After allowing for contingencies, there is a profit to the board on the working of the laboratory' during the year of not less than £320.'