THAMES HOSPITAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4760, 6 October 1924, Page 3

THAMES HOSPITAL.

' -———7*monthly board meeting. The monthly meeting of the Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held on Friday, there being present: Messrs W. E. Hale (chairman), J. W. Danby, C. W- Kennedy, G. Death. A. R. Robinson, H. L. Berney, E. Nr Miller, and G. Tonge, secretary. BEDS AT SANATORIUM. The Chief-Health Officer reported that there were 67 beds vacant at the Pukeora Snaatorium. NURSE PENNELL FUND. The trustees of the Nurse Pennell Memorial Funds, Paeroa, forwarded a cheque for £350, which amount, the covering letter stated, was handed over to the board unconditionally so long as the maternity ward in the proposed hospital at Paeroa was called the Mary Pennell ward. The chairman said that it wais rather a pity that such a condition had been made, as the donation was really made unconditionally. The matter was deferred for discussion at the next meeting. PROPOSED AMALGAMATION. The secretary of the Waihi Hospital Board wrote stating that advice had been received from the DirectorGeneral of! Health that the present session of Parliament was expected to last until November, and, therefore, a conference to consider the matter of amalgamating the Waihi and Thames hospital! districts would have to oe deferred. The Waihi board suggested that the conference should be held at Paeroa during November on a date to be fixed. The chairman thought it would be better to hold the conference at the board’s office at Thames, and he said he would like an expression of opinion from the members. Mr Death said that he did not thins any hardship would be inflicted on the Waihi delegates to go to Thames. Mr Kennedy said that the matter warranted all the Thames board members being present. Mr Miller concurred, and said he not consider that it would be diicourteous to ask* the Waihi to agree to the conference being held at Thames. The chairman said he was anxious to get the business satisfactorily settled. After further discussion the matter was left in the -hands of the chairman and deputy-chairman to arrange. DONATION OF BOOKS. The Thames branch of the Women’s National Reserve forwarded books tc the value of £5 for placing in the women’s ward library. It was decided to acknowledge the gift with grateful thanks, the chairman remarking that it "Was the third or fourth parcel of books that had been collected and forwarded by the same donors. • KEREPEEHI hospital SITE. The secretary of the Kerepeehi Hospital Fund forwarded a renewal hank dlip duly signed, ’ and wrote pointing out that the trustees of the fund did not desire that the fund should be closed, but that,an amount 'of only £145 should be withdrawn from it, which amount represented half the purchase price of the section. The board was also asked to add the interest to the fund that had accrued during the time the money had been in the board’s hands. ’ The chairman said that the matter had not yet been cleared up, as there was apparently some hitch in the Kerepeehi post office with regard to the account. RESIGNATION; The resignation of Nurse Madge McMillan was accepted, THAMES MATERNITY HOME. The board’s architect forwarded a final certificate for work done in connection with the maternity ward. CHANGE OF UNIFORM SOUGHT. An application, signed by the matron, was received asking for permission to wear white calico overalls in place of the present uniform, as overalls were considerably 1 more durable. cheaper, and hygienic. In reply to Mr Death the chairman said that the board would be put to no extra expense, as the time had arrived when the uniforms required renewing. The application was granted only so, far as the sisters were concerned. HAURAKI BENEVOLENT SOCIETY. The Hauraki Benevolent Society, Thames, forwarded accounts totalling £5 17s and asked for a grant to pay them.—Granted. • PATETONGA MEDICAL ASSN. The secretary of the Patetonga Medical Association forwarded’ £25 in payment of its share of six months’ board for the district nurse, The chairman remarked that it was very satisfactory to receive the remittance in full so pomptly, and he thought the Patetonga people were to be commended for their zeal and enthusiasm in the matter. , USE OF SECTION. Mr P. E. Brenan forwarded a letter from J. F. Grant, who had been an inmate of the Blind Institution, Auckland, and who was now seeking the use-of a section belonging to the board at Parawai for the purpose of taking up poultry farming. The applicant sta’ed that if the land was granted the Pearson Fund would be prepared to assist the venture financially. Tne board decided that whilst in sympathy with the application, it did not consider the section referred to was at all suitable for poultry-farm-ing, and in any case the section was being used by the board. ACCOUNTS. Accounts totalling £2663 14s 3d were passed for payment. COMMITTEES. Messrs Death and Berney were appointed a hospital committee for the ensuing month, and Messns Kennedy and Hall were elected a homes committee. REPORTS. THE HOSPITAL. ' The acting- medical superintendent,

Dr. A, S. Gray, reported that owing to illness Dr. Bathgate had been granted leave as from September 23. Duiing September three cases of seepheria and one case of tubercular meningitis had been admitted. Nurse Chapman had been admitted with u septic thumb, which had been lanced under a general anaesthetic. The Ehrenfried ward was closed at the beginning of the month, and the patients had been transferred to the accident ward on account of shortage of 'staff, which, he considered, should be at once augmented. During September 53 males and 46 females had been admitted to the institution, 56 males and 48 females had been discharged, 18 operations on males and 27 on females had been performed, and the patients remaining in the hospital at the end of September numbered 28 males and 31 females. Outpatients attended totalled 31 males and 7 females. One male and two female had died. MATRON'S REPORT. The matron stated in her report that the shortage of staff was two sisters and four nurses. During the month Nurses N. Kelly, S. Lundon, and N. Chapman had been on sick leave, and Nurses N. McMillan and M Dawson and Miss Thorpe had resigned. The isolation ward had been reopened on September 22 to admit diphtheria cases, and two nurses had been detailed for duty in that ward. In granting permission to purchase a number of articles for use in the hospital Mr Danby drew attention .o the state of the board’s finances. He thought that great economy would have to be exercised, especially in view of the fact that it was now costing over £lOOO a month to maintain the institution, which amount represented an increase of over thirtythree and one-third per centum on last year’s figures. Mr Kennedy said that he had already discussed the position with the ma'ror., and the articles mentioned in the requisition were absolutely needed. MATERNITY ANNEX. Tne report of the maternity annex showed that nine cases had been admitted during September, and eight discharged, leaving five patients and four babies in the annex. Seven male and four female babies had been born during September. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer reported that thirty-one-tons of coal had been used during September. The third shift on the boilers had been discontinued as from September 25, as the need for radiators was not warranted. A new steam lead had been put into the isolation ward, and was giving satisfaction. DISTRICT NURSES. The Patetonga district nurse reported having attended twenty cases. Fees totalling £1 lO.s had been received. Nurse J. M. Jarrett, native nurse, reported that influenza was prevalent among the children in Hikuai and district. Three.visits had been made in a fortnight. There was also a typhoid contact patient under observation al Waihi. An application for a bed and mattress was granted. HOMES AT TARARU. The manager of the District Homes, Tararu. reported that there were 18 men and four women in the homes at tlie end of September. Two men had been admitted during the month. The conduct of the inmates was very good.