COOK HOSPITAL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20106, 28 November 1939, Page 4

COOK HOSPITAL

NEW BUILDING LOAN HIGHER INTEREST RATE WAR SERVICE NURSES MORE HOSPITAL CASES Receipt of advice that a building loan of £9400 was approved with an interest rate of not more than 4.1 per cent, as against 4.1 per cent for the last instalment of the building programme funds, was a highlight of the Cook Hospital Board’s monthly meeting yesterday. The possibility of nurses being required at short notice for home service with the Army Nursing Division, and an increase in the number of occupied beds at the hospital, were among the other items of general interest discussed. Those present were the chairman, Mr. M. T. Traflord, Mcsdames A. E. Beer and E. R. Scott, Dr. ,T. C. Collins, and Messrs, D. W. Coleman, M.P., S. T. Gray, H. J. F. Tombleson, F. G. Bellerby, G. D. Muirhead, Hy. Cooper, and H. Adair. Leave of absence was granted to Mrs. E. R. Black.

The clerk of the Uaiwa County Council, Mr. H. L. Tempesd, notified his willingness to act as authorising officer in connection with medical care of the indigent at Tolaga Bay.—The letter was received. The Local Government Loans Board advised that the board’s application for a loan of £9400 was approved, at a rate of interest not exceeding 41 pc-r cent. —Instructions were given for initiating the raising of money in accordance with the Loan Board’s approval. The Health Department notified the board of the intention of the army authorities to have all volunteering nurses medically examined, in view of the possibility of their being called on at short notice for service. The notice also should give the board an opportunity to arrange its staffing in a way entailing the least inconvenience.

Calls Upon Nursing- Staff

The managing-secretary, Mr. C. A. Harries, reported that one nurse had been called up, and others might be called on from the Cook Hospital. The finance committee reported that accounts totalling £6079 from the general account and £2087 from the building extension loan account had been passed for payment. The current account was £774 in debit on November 16, and the building loan account £6480 in credit.

The committee recommended the 'board to adopt certain proposals put forward in connection with the visit of Miss Lambie, Director of the Division of Nursing, to the Cook Maternity Hospital. The appointment of an extra sister for this institution, and the provision of text books and teaching apparatus were among these recommendations.

The committee supported the, proposal made by Miss Lambie, that steps be taken to interest young girls in the prospects of the nursing profession as their life work, and that the matron should immediately approach the heads of schools in the district with a view to giving effect to the suggestion.

A notification from the Health Denartment that the cost of treating wounded or sick members of the fighting forces would be borne by the Government was noted by the committee with satisfaction. St. John Ambulance Finance

The committee recommended that the secretary should communicate with the St. John Ambulance Association ’respecting the grant of £350 from the board’s funds to the cost of a new ambulance, which grant the Minister had approved. In respect of a request from the St. John Ambulance Association that the scale of fees payable by the board be revised in some respects governed by the Transport Licensing Authority, the committee recommended that the board take the suggested course. Satisfaction was expressed by the committee concerning the agreement of the Wellington Hospital Board to make available the services of Dr. W. S. Robertson, orthopaedic specialist, for two visits to Gisborne each year for specialist; treatment at the Cook Hospital, at a cost of £SO for each visit. The committee confirmed the agreement. An extension of specialist services was envisaged in a section of the finance committee’s report on the treatment for cleft-palate babies, and other cases in which plastic surgery might prove helpful. The committee stated that the Wellington Hospital Board was endeavouring to arrange for the services of a well-known specialist and the Cook board was recommended to co-operate with the southern board in this matter.

Sister Charney's application for the post of sister-in-charge at Tolaga Bay Hospital having been approved, the committee recommended her appointment.

Substantial Expenditure

The treasurer, Mr. Harries, reported that the expenditure for October totalled £7069. and the debit balance in the general account on October 1 was £649 14s. Receipts during the month were £7971, and the credit balance on October 31 was £252. Receipts included £1798 in patients’ fees paid by tire Social Security Department, £356 in fees paid by in-patients, £320 from Memorial Home maintenance, £2700 in subsidies from the Health Department, and £2512 in levies from contributing bodies. Fees charged for the month totalled £1647,

due from the Social Security Department, and £573 due from other sources. The medical superintendent, Dr. R. J. B. Hall, reported that the number of patients in the wards had risen from 155 on September 30 to 162 on October 31, the latter number including 23 infectious cases. In the Cook Maternity Home, 12 babies were born during October.

The illness of Dr. Christie, a house surgeon on the board’s staff, was also reported by Dr. Ifall, who stated that Dr. A. L. Singer was giving assistance pending the-appointment of a relieving house surgeon. Lady Superintendent Reports

The lady superintendent, Miss G. M. Leipst, reported that Sister Hart and Nurses Tyerman, Nattrass and Church were on annual leave, Nurses Rapley and l Warner having returned from leave.

Nurse Goodall had received sick leave, Sister Wise and Nurses Mullaney, Cleary, Daube, Church and Ratcliff having returned from sick leave. Misses Cranswick and Porter had been appointed to the probationer staff.

Gifts acknowledged by the lady superintendent included books and magazines from the Victoria League, Miss Martin, and Mesdames Lougher and Paulson, and several anonymous donors.

The custodian of the Memorial Home, Mr. S. W. Garley, reported that 41 inmates, including 10 women, remained in the institution on November 9. The Victoria League had donated literature, and clothes had been sent by Mesdames J. Harrison and Swain.

The dairy farm committee reported that supplies made to the institutions and the proceeds of sales of produce and stock yielded £l5O for October, whereas the expenditure totalled £lO7, of dhich £43 was absorbed by wages. Memorial Home Kitchen The visiting committee, Mrs. E. R. Scott and Mr. G. D. Muirhead, recommended that a standard type of sink bench be supplied for the small kitchen at the Memorial Home, which was now becoming dilapidated. The committee also recommended the repainting of the ceiling of Ward 1 kitchen, and that repairs be effected to the linoleum in the corridor on the ground-floor of the nurses’ home.

The district nurse at Matawai, Sister Pritchard, reported having treated and advised 49 patients and paid 87 visits during the month, two patients having been conveyed by car to hospital. The managing-secretary reported upon a number of management matters, including the provision of nursing assistance in connection with an outbreak of chicken-pox at the Heni Materoa Children’s Home. Advertisements in connection with the appointment of a radiologist had been arranged for in Australia and New Zealand centres, and applications from abroad should be .available by the turn of the year, Mr. Harries reported. The scheme for the medical care of the indigent had covered a total of 111 cases at a cost of £3l 10s for the month. The cost of medicine supplied by the chemists in connection with the scheme was not yet known. Lists of accounts totalling £2865 were recommended by the managing-secre-tary for writing-off. The departmental reports were 'adopted after a brief discussion.