THAMES HOSPITAL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4829, 13 May 1925, Page 2

THAMES HOSPITAL

* MONTHLY BOARD MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held at Thames on Monday, the chairman (Mr W. E. Hale) presiding over t.he following: . Messrs J. W. Dunby, G. Death, A. R. Robinson, P. E. Brenan, W. C. Kennedy, H. L. Bermy, W. J. Hall, J. H. Lange. J. Rowe, and the secretary (Mr G. Tonge). REPRESENTATIVES. The Paeroa Borough Council wrote stating that Mr P. E. Brenan had been re-eiecled as a representative of the borough on the board. The Thames Borough Council’ notified that Messrs J. W. Danby, J. H. Lange, and J.’ Rowe had been elected to represent the Borough of Thames. ISOLATION BLOCK. The Department of Health forwarded a sketch plan of an isolation block to accommodate twelve patients, and in a covering letter stated that the block was divided into two wards, theie.by making provision for male ami female. The plan provided for two 2-bed and eight single-bed wards, the estimated cost being approximately £6844. If the board considered the block too large, two single rooms could be removed, reducing the accommodation to ten beds at an estimated cost of £6057. A further letter wins received from the department enclosing a tracing of the six-bed isolation ward al Opotiki Hospital. It Was stated that the building was of simple construction, being built of wood and lined with Maxwell board, the total cost being approximately £l6OO. The plan previously submbitted by the department was for a brick building, plaster lined. If the board considered it advisable to build in wood on similar lines to Opotiki the cost would be considerably reduced, but it would depend on the local market whether such a low price ats £3OOO could be obtained.

The chairman said it was imperative to have an isolation block. The recent infantile paralysis had brought home the urgent need for adequate accommodation for infectious cases, and he favoured immediately considering the proposal to erect a wooden building,

Mr Danby said that it was a matter of distinct credit to the local doctors and nursing staff that the paralysis eases had been dealt with so satisfactorily, without the loss of life, but it was hardly possible to face another epidemic under existing conditions. The chairman, in reply to Mr Death, sain that he would not favour ,a further levy on local contributory bodies, but would favour raising a loan of £4009 for the purpose of erecting the block and socking the help and cooperation of the department in the matter.

Mr Brenan suggested that if the board was going on the market for a loan, the question of providing a wellequipped laundry should be considered The present facilities were hopelessly inadequate, and in his opinion a laundry, and he thought the matter date footing.

The chairman said that £7500 uas out of the question for expenditure on a laundry, and he that the mattei should be deferred. He did not favour the estimate that had been received for the laundry. Mr Kennedy contended that, the provision of an isolation block was of an urgent nature, and although the laundry did require remodelling the isolation block was of far greater importance.

Mr Hall said that he was anxious to see the block erected right away. Mr Danby. favoured the question of the laundry and machinery being deferred until after the conference ot hospital boards next month. Finally it was resolved that the secretary take steps to ascertain tho minimum cost of establishing a laundaiy, with a view to applying for a loan sufficient to build an isolation block and laundry. KE'REPEEHI SITE. Ji, K. Peterson, Kerepeehi, wrote advising that it was his intention to fence in his section adjoining the hospital site, and asked the board to contribute its portion of the cost, the distance being about 10 chains and the board’s portion of the, cost being £9 ss. Application was also made for the lease of the hospital site. The chairman said that the matter had previously been before the meet-