THAMES HOSPITAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5488, 16 October 1929, Page 4

THAMES HOSPITAL.

MEETING OF BOARD. The monthly meeting of the Thames Hospital Board was held on Monday, Mr W. E. Hale presiding over Messrs C. Flett, C. W. Parfitt, E. L. Walton, W. C. Kennedy, P. E. Brenan, A. R. Robinson, J. Lange, W. J. Danby, and D. Courtney. The secretary, Mr G. Tonge, was also in attendance. Surgeon”s Illness. Notification was received from Drs. Liggins and Gray advising that the Board’s resident surgeon, Dr. W. Sowerby, was a patient in the hospital and would be unfit for duty for about five weeks. Drs. Liggins and Gray were willing to undertake his work at the usual fees. This was agreed to. Care of Old People. The Tauranga Hospital Board wrote asking if two old people could be admitted to the Tararu Homes. The fees would be guaranteed. In view of the fact that the accommodation at the homes was almost fully occupied the application was declined. Waihi Board’s Charges. The Waihi Hospital Board advised that a decision had been reached to reduce the fees payable by the Thames Board for urgent cases to 9s for adults and 4s 6d for children. The letter continued : “The board wishes me to respectfully ask that in future your board should look a little more broadly at the urgent cases notified to you than it has done in the past.” Notification of three urgent cases admitted from Karangahake, Waikino, and Paeroa was received. Mr W. C. Kennedy said he appreciated the reduction in fees but deprecated the remarks made by some members of the Waihi Board concerning the Thames Board, as reported in the Press. The remarks were quite unjustified. It was decided to thank the Waihi Board for the reduction in fees, but to point out that only urgent cases would be paid for as in the past. Resignation. j Sister A. Potterton, sister in charge of the Maternity Annexe, wrote resigning her position to enable her to attend a refresher course in Dunedin. On the motion of the chairman the resignation was accepted with much regret, and it was decided to send her a letter of appreciation for her long service. The Laundry. A trade pamphlet concerning a washing machine was brought before the board. The secretary mentioned that the type of machine had proved very satisfactory at the institutions where it had been installed, and where he had investigated the matter while on ■vacation.

Mr Danby' asked who had advised the board to instal the particular machines which had been purchased for £5OO.

The chairman said that the purchases had been made on the advice of the Government experts, and the machines had proved efficient in other institutions.

Mr C. Flett said that the whole trouble was due to inefficient operators. If the board gave up dealing with the matter and sent their wives to investigate the problem the position would be righted in a week. Several different operators had been tried, but no great improvement had been effected. It would pay the board to hire an operator at £lO a week. Mr Danby considered that the makers of the machine would demonstrate the efficiency of their machines rather than let it be known that the washers were inefficient.

The chairman stated that the plant had been procured by the Health Department from three different agents who knew nothing of the working of the washers. Mr Danby remarked that it was a regrettable state that the Government supplied hospital boards with machines which did not carry any guarantee of performance. On the motion of Mr Walton it was decided to ask the manager of a certain Auckland bag wash to investigate the plant and report. Reports. The acting resident surgeons, Drs. J. B. Liggins and A. S. Gray, reported that 50 males and 63 females had been admitted to the hospital during the month, 6 patients had died, 48 males and 57 females had been discharged, and'there were 41 males and ;33 females remaining. Sixteen outpaitients had received 95 attendances, and 46 operations had been performed. The children’s ward had been full, due to burn cases and a large number* of pneumonia cases. Miss K. M. Ansenne, matron, reported at length on staff matter’s. There had been 18 births during the month in the annexe. She mentioned having inspected the laundry at the 1 Waikato Hospital, and felt convinced that the equipment at the Thames Board's laundry was good but there had never been a capable man to run. it. The superintendent of the Tararu. Homes reported that there were still 20 men in the institution. The pastures were in fair order, the garden very good, and the milk a’nd egg production very satisfactory. The district nurse to Natives, M : tss N. Jamieson, Paeroa, reported having visited 88 Natives. Native Nurse’s Car. The matter of transport for the dfistrict nurse was brought forward by Mr Brenan, who mentioned that Mass Jamieson was prepared to buy a motor car if the board would make an annual grant to cover the depreciation of the car. The Department of Health w'ould pay a travelling allowance. The chairman said that the idea was a better one than that considered by the board some years ago. At the present time the board paid the nurse approximately £4O a year for travelling, and the suggestion was an annual grant of £5O a year. She was only operating in the board’s district. On the motion of Mr Walton the sum was granted.