HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2591, 27 July 1882, Page 3

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of this Board was held at 4 p.m. yesterday. Present—His Worship the Major of Dr. Prins, Mr Haw&es. The Mayor of Christchurch was voted to the chair. The report of the hospital oommitlee was read as follows : The hospital oommitiee reported that daring the fortnight ending July 22nd tbfrty-three patients wore admitted into the Hospital and nineteen discharged, leaving seventy-Beven

; patients in the institution. Baring the same i period there were two deaths. The number of ' patients ia the Hospital for the corresponding period of last year was fifty-seven. The annual statement of receipts and expenditure was laid before the Board. Board Boom, Christchurch Hospital. July 25th, 882. Sir, —I have the honor to forward herewith the returns of receipts and expenditure cf the hospitals and charitable institutions uader the control of the Board, for the financial year ending 30th June, 1882, together with comparative statement of the expenditure, classified, and also- the- annual statistics. Chriatcburch Hospital.—The number of patients in the Hospital on the Ist July, 1881, waa 5> Number admitted from Ist July, 1881, to the 30th June. 1882, 586. Totl, 641. Number discharged daring that period, 517; death, 61. Total, 678. Remaining in Hospital, 30th June, 1882, 63. Tho daily average number for the year was 65. The daily average number last year was 61. The receipts for the year amounted to £, i 39 183 lid,

as agaiaat £ e sß Is 8d for the preceding year. The expenditure for the year £ 143 L 0a 3d, as against £5318 2s 4d for the previous year. This increased expenditure of £162 17a lid is accounted for as follows : of 10 per cent, on salaries was not made during the past year. 2nd—The provisions and extras to patients have been on a more liberal scale. 3rd—The cost for fuel was greater. Last yeir a large quantity of timber was given by the Domain Hoard, which reduced the cast of fuel. The Board have again given a large quantity thia year, and it is fully anticipated that the cost of fuel will be considerably less in the accounts of next year. 4th—The expenditure under the head drugs and instruments is less this year by £325 3s 7d, this is to ba accounted for from the fact that a large supply of drags was obtaiaed daring the year 1881. A portion of these drags still remain in stock. The regulation—that applicants for admission (not being cases of emergency) able to pay for treatment outride shall not be admitted or receive treatment as out patients -has been strictly carried ont during the past year, and this accounts in a great measure for the small proportion collected as compare J with the expenditure. The total population of the boroughs and counties to whom the Christchnrch Hospital is available is 85,000; the average daily number of inmates is thu3 equal to 1 in every 1300 of tho population. The daily average cost of each patient was 3s 9ii, but repayments reduce this to 3s sd; last year the daily average cost was 3s B|d, hut repayments reduced this to 3j 3d. The number cf deaths in the Hospital during the year was 61, and for the preceding year 60. Casual Ward, Lyttelton— Number of patients in the ward on July Ist, 1881, nil; number admitted from Ist July, 1881, to 30th June. 1882, 4 ; number discharged during that period, 2, and deaths I—3; remaining in ward on 30th June, 1882, 1. The expenditure was £77 7b sd, as against £126 Is 6d :lasc year. Bospit&l Cottage, Akaroa— Number of patients in the hospital on lat July. 1831, 2; number admitted from Ist July, 1881, to 30th June, 1832, 27 ; total 29. Number discharged during that period 25, death 1, or a total cf 26; remaining in Hospital, 30th June, 1882, 3. 'i he receipts for the year ending 30th June amount to £l4 3s 6d, as against £i7 14s for the preceding year. The expenditure was £3:9 12s 10d, as against £430 J4s 5d for the previous sear. Canterbury Orphanage—The number of children in this institution on thelßt July, 1881, was 51 boys and 41 girls, total 93; admitted during year ending HUth June, 1832, 8 boys, 4 girls, total 12, or a grand total of 110 ; apprentie d or withdrawn by re atives during the year, 12 boys and 6 girls, t .-tal 18 ; remaining in the institution on 30th June, 1882, 50 b:j-3 and 42 girls, total 92. The daily average Lumber was 93. Last year the daily average number was 100. There were no deaths. The receipts for the year have been £lsl 8s b'd, as against £l9l 111 2d for the preceding year. The expenditure was £lß3l 3s iOd, aa against £1961 16s 7d for the previous year. The average cost of each child was 7s 9d per week, but repayments reduce this to 7s 2d par week. Last year the average coEt per week was 7s 6d, but repayments reduced the oost to 6« 9d. This increase in the average cost for maintenance, &o , is accounted for by the fact that the average number cf children in the institution was seven less this year than last. Aehbnrton Home—The number cf inmates in the Home on the Ist July, 1881, was 42; admitted during the year, 31; total 76. Discharged or left thefinstitution, 31; deaths, 8 ; total, 39. Number remaining on 30th June, 1833, 37. The expenditure was £lO6l 17s 7d as against £983 lis for the preceding year. Tho average cost of each inmate was 10s Ed per week. Charitable Aid—The number of Bouts receiving relief on Ist July, 1881, inclusive cf the inmates at tho Ashbarton Home, was 863, classified as under: Males, 119 ; females, 179 ; children, 570: total. 868. The number in receipt of relief on 30th June, 1882, was 919, as under : Males, 113; females, 204; children, 632 ; total, 919. Of the 113 males, 18 are employed on relief works, 38 are ill and unable to work, 20 are aged and infirm, and 37 ere at the Home, Astburton. Cf the 20 i femalee, 91 are widows, 30 have b en deserted by their husbands, the husbands of 13 are in gaol, 47 are receiving relief on acconnt of sickness, 15 are aged and infirm, and in 8 oases the husbands are in the Lunatic Asylum. I attach returns showing the condition in life of the recipients. During the year temporary assistance was alto granted in 145 cases; the total numaer relieved was 631. 1 The receipts on charitable aid were £6113a lOd,

as against £22 7a 2d for the preceding year. The expenditure was £8250 19--", as against £7077 15s 5d for the previous year. This expenditure includes the sum of £ 1244 10a 9d as wages on relief works ; last year the amount paid as wages was £1228 0a Id. The increased expenditure on charitable aid of £1173 3s 7d shit fly arises from the increase in the number of cases. Last year 77 widows were in receipt of relief, this year the number is 91. The number of rleEertions has been increased by 6, and the number ef aged and infirm cases by 7. There has also been a large increaso in the number of temporary cases, and there can be no doubt that the expenditure would have been much greater had not the Benevolent Society supplemented the grants made by the v haritable Aid Committee. Pull details of tee expenditure on charitable aid in the city ef Christchurch and the several counties and boronghs are attached to the report. The receipts from all sources amount to £667 4a 3d, as againßt £B6O 2a 6d for the preceding year. The total expenditure has been £16,085 0a lid, as againßt £14,403 7s 6d for the year previous. The actual cost, after deducting receipts, of the hospital and ch*rit*ble in3titutijns under the c ntrol of the Board, for the year ending the 30ti June, 1882, has been £15,417 16s Bd, as against £ (4,403 7s 6d for tha preceding year. I have, &c, J. E. March. The statement as a whole waa received, the Board expressing its satisfaction at the completeness of the statistics It was resolved that the statement should be printed and forwarded to the Government. Mr Marsh mentioned that tho cost of the Wellington Hospital with sixty-six patients was 3j 5 1 per patient. Ths return from tho Akaroa Cottage Hospital showed that there wero four patients, in tho Lyttelton casual ward two patients, and in the Ashburton Old Men's Homo forty-one inmates. & report was resaived from the medical officer of the Ashburton Home, rcoommending that increased accommodation should be provided for old men suffering from cansumption and rheumatism. The seoretary was instructed to telegraph to the Colonial Secretary, asking that tho work, which would cost Borne £95, bo proceeded with. . The Board having considered soma charitable aid oases adjourned.