THAMES HOSPITAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4737, 13 August 1924, Page 4

THAMES HOSPITAL.

REGULAR MEETING OF BOARD. The monthly meeting o£ the Thames Hospital Board was held on Monday last, there being present: Messrs W. E. Hale (chairman), G. Death, W. J. Hall, E. N. Miller, W. McKay, H. L. Berney, W. C. Kennedy, P. E. Brenan, and G. Tonge (secretary), BANK OVERDRAFT. The Health Department, Wellington,. wired that the Minister of Finance had approved of an advance of £lOOO, and until available the board was authorised to overdraw to the extent of £lOOO. HOSPITAL FEES. Letters were received from four hospital boards declining responsibility for patients alleged to be from their districts as the patients were not known in the districts. The secretary stated that the patients had apparently misrepresented the position. The chairman pointed out that if a patient resided in a district for one year he became a charge on the board of that district for any charges incurred in other districts within five years. He thought the section under which this was permitted should bo amended, as it was open .to abuse and was being much abused. The secretary, was instructed to interview patients desiring admission, except in urgent cases, and endeavour to obtain true statements.

OHINEMURI HOSPITAL FUND. Mr E. W. Porritt, Paeroa, wrote stating that the allocatur of costs as taxed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court had come'to hand. He had paid the costs, as ordered, out of the fund, which left a deficiency on the amount' due to him of £23 9s lid. The board now had the titles to the land and. the fire insurance policies, and the fund was wound up. HOUSE SURGEON. Two letters were received from doctors desiring the position of house surgeon should it become vacant. It was decided to inform the applicants that the position was not now vacant, but that their applications would be considered should -a vacancy occur. CHARITABLE AID. On the application .of the secretary the Hauraki Ladies’ Benevolent Society was granted £lO for charitable aid purposes. LOCAL BODY LEVIES. The Ohinemuri County Council for-, warded a cheque for £l7B 6s and the Paeroa Borough Council a cheque for £94 10s sd, being hospital levies from those districts. KEREPEEHI HOSPITAL. Mr W. Booth, secretary of the Kerepeehi Hospital Site Committee, forwarded on July 18 a copy of a resolution passed by a representative meeting- of Kerepeehi people protesting against any delay in the erection of a maternity annex and expressing astonishment at the attitude adopted by several members of the board. The committee had been informed by the Director-General of Health that a subsidy Mould be granted on the monies collected by the residents. He had suggested that a maternity annex be •established at Kerepeehi. In view of the foregoing the residents strongly objected to being further burdened with expense in being forced to the Thames annex when their needs could and should be catered for on the Plains So decided were the views on the question that if the board did not act in reasonable time steps would be taken to set up a hospital district on the Hauraki Plains. Mr Hale said that Dr. Valintine had told the board that he would not recommend a subsidy, then later he had gi anted the subsidy but had not advised the board. The misunderstanding had arisen owing to the fact that he had advised the people of Kerepeehi. The Director-General of Health wrote on July 24 acknowledging receipt of the board’* letter of July 17 on the above subject. He stated that it was true that on December 3 he had written to the board advising that the Department could not see its way to grant the establishment of a hospital at kerepeehi, but his letter Of July 1 referred to a maternity hospital,. an altogether different matter. He therefore asked that the matter be considered. Subsidy on subscriptions would be paid on application, and the approval of the Hon. Minister to the establishment of a- maternity home would be furnished as soon as possible. The approval of the Minister woul.d be available forthwith. Mr Kennedy moved that the Kerepeehi people be informed that it was not until July 24, 1924, that the department notified the board of its willingness to pay a subsidy. Seconded by Mr Hall and carried! Mi- Miller said that at the last meeting of the board the obtaining ©f the subsidy was discussed, and. the- next step would be to obtain the money and the subsidy and then consider the object in view. He took it that the secretary would imimsdSately take isteps to obtain the money. REPORT'S; The Hospital.—Tha; resident surgeon, Dr. D. A. Bathgate, reported that 37 males and' 39 females had' been admitted ’during the month. One 1

male and one female had died, and 29 males and 36 females had been discharged, leaving 34 males and 32 females in the institution. Thirty outpatients had been treated, 196 attendances made, and 44 operations pel* formeti. One case of scarlet fever and five of diphtheria were admitted during the month. Five cases had been attended at the maternity annex. Mr Kennedy, on behalf of the visiting committee, reported that everything appared to be satisfactory in the institution. The matron reported on staff matters. Nurses Bell, Coad, and Tukukinp had passed the medical section of the. State examination, thus completing their passes. Miss Bagley, of the Health Department, paid a visit to the maternity annex during the month and expressed pleasure at the arrangement of the equipment and things in general. District Homes.—The superintendent of Tarant Homes reported that .the number of inmates was unchanged and the conduct was very good. In the farm garden and grounds everything Was quite satisfactory, and all the stock was looking well. Messrs McKay and Hall reported having visited the institution and finding everything in order. District Nunsos.—The nurse stationed at Paeroa reported having attended 14 European and 24 Maori patients. Ono school and seven Maori pas had been visited. The total number of visits made during the month was 142. Nurse McNamara, Patetonga, reported having attended ten different patients and collected £1 10s 8d in fees. ACCOUNTS. Accounts totalling £llB9 3s were passed for, payment, while others totalling nearly £lOOO were held up. The secretary stated that .when the accounts passed had been paid the board would have a debit balance of £196 12s 9d. KARAKA CREEK WALLS .Only one tender was received for the work of erecting protecting walls to prevent the Karaka Creek encroaching on to the board’s property, and it was considered much too high. The chairman and secretary were, empowered to act. PAEROA HOSPITAL. The plans for the proposed maternity .hospital for Paeroa as prepared by Mr Gillman and approved by the Health Department were laid on the table.

.It was suggested-that consideration of them should’ be referred to the nurses committee and certain others, but Mr Death could not see why the matter should be thus delayed. Mr Kennedy said that it was for the board to say whether the erection should be authorised. Th.e building was very much bigger than he had

expected. - The chairman said that he had expected the cost would be six or eight thousand, pounds. He could not see how the suggested building, costing over twelve thousand pounds to complete, could be financed, considering the present state of the finances of local bodies and ratepayers.

.Mr Kennedy and other members expressed the opinion that -‘t was not necessary to 'have such a large building to’ accommodate' four maternity cases and two’ or three casualty cases.

The architect, Mr E. E. Gillman, waited upon the board. He stated that he had conferred with the doctor and matron in • regant to the type of building. The building would accommodate at the most eight patients and the necessary staff. > The cost; would not be materially reduced by restricting the number of beds. > Mr Brenan said that the architect had prepared plans and, specifications as instructed. If the cost was too much, then the. board should ask the architect if he '’could modify the plan to bring the -building within the requirements of: the Health Department and the finances of the board. Mr Gillman did not think it possible to cut down the building to reduce the cost to . about one-half. The department might agree to a reduction in the number- of rooms, and possible in the cl.ass of materials, blit in his opinion 'lt would not reduce the cost more than £lOOO. The estimated cost of the knain building, with fittings, was £4148 10s, and the department’s rough estimate, some time ago was from,X7so to £B5O per bed for such an institution. In brick the cost would be per cent, more, and hi concrete 10 per cent, more, than wood. TMr Brenan thought that the board sljould decide to what limit it was ’prepared to go and instruct the architect to prepare plans accordingly. The 1 trouble would be to have this done to i comply ■with the Health Department s | requirements. After much discussion on the plans j it was decided to hold a special meet- | iug of the board at which the medical | snperintendeflt, matron, and sister in 1 charge of the maternity annex would be asked, to be present.