Hospital Board

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 57, 13 November 1886, Page 3

Hospital Board

A meeting of the Hospital Board was held last Thursday at Wanganui, when there were present— Messrs Peat, West, and Macarthur. Mr Peat wa.s voted to the chair. After the minutes had been confirmed, Mr Macavthur moved that tenders for supplies should be -called for before next meeting. Carried. —Mr Maeaithur proposed that the secretary make application to the Borough Council for the balance of £35, standing to the credit of the Hospital account. Mr Macarthur ttext brought up the case of a man wh« had met with 1 an accident, and had been brought in to Feilding from a distance of some 40 miles. The inaa was too ill to be removed to town and he (Mr Macaithur) had authorised the secretary of the Kivritea* Eoad Board to iaeur inedicul aud other ex^ j>euses, and he moved that the Board tuoet the expenses of the case.— This was secomled by Mr West and carried. — Mr Jklacartlmr, in moving in the matter, ailuded to the cruel manner in which tk«* aian had been left at JS-witea by his mates: The .case was cue of a fractured skull, and it was questionable whether he would recover — the skull would have to be trepanned A resolution bad been passed nt ihe pievioua meeting that each local body should find means of sending iii jjjuients by/rail* but Mr Macarthur pointed out the difficulties in the way of carrying out the resolution. He thought the better plan would be for the- Board to supply five or six hammocks, one to be left at each station. It was decided that the medical attendants be asked to report on the best plan of bringing in patients to the Hospital by rail. At the last meeting a resolution had been passed that in further no medicines should be supplied to outdoor patients without the authority of the secretary, and Mr Peat alluding to it said that he thought the matter required carrying further. There were now a number of cases in the Hospital which the doctors acknowledged were not fit for the Hospital, but they would not take on themselves the ' responsibility of saying whether such patients should be admitted. — Mr Macarthur agreed with Mr Peat, And considered that the doctors must be forcpd to take up the position of deciding whether cases wore fit for treatment in the Hospital. The secretary and chairman could not be expected to take the responsibility—Mr West coincided with the remarks made by the other members, and suggested a conference with the doctors in the afternoon.— Mr Bamber rung them up by telephone, and they agreed to conic at once. At this stage the doctors entered, and were consulted relative to tho admission of patients, and. the responsibility of admitting. • — The board thought the medical men should take the responsibility. The number of patients had increased enormously lately, and the question had to be considered at once. There were cases in which the doctors could do no good, and these should be put on charitable - aid if su«h was necessary. — DrConnolly acknowledged ''that a fair proportion of his patients were fitter for an Old Man's Eefuge. Ho thought, too, it was hardly fair to the borough that a number of men who came into tjwn and stayed a few w.eeksfeelingillshould then come to the Hospital and stay on at the expense of ratepayers.— ln answer to a remark" from Dr Connolly the chairman said that the cases he thought were fitter for a refuge should be referred to Mr Bamber.*— Dr Bell said he had four cases which ho would not like to turn out unless he knew provision was to be made for them, though he recognised they were not fit cases for the Hospital. — After further discussion the matter dropped, it being understood that the medical men trould in future send cases needing charitable aid to the secretary. Continuation ofreading matter on MJi page