WAIKATO HOSPITAL BOARD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 391, 30 August 1911, Page 3

WAIKATO HOSPITAL BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Waikato , Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was j held last Thursday. Awakino County. -The Secretary of the Taranaki Hospital Hoard wrote . stating that the matter of the re- j inclusion of the Awakino County in j that Board's district would be dealt , with at the September meeting.--Re- , ceived.

Cottage Hospitals. —Replying to Mr ■ Young, who asked whether he would entertain the idea of constituting j Rotorua a separate Hospital district, ! Ur Valintine said he. considered that the Dominion was already divided into ; too many districts. He thought that j each district shuld have an up to date, ; well equipped and central hospital and j several outlying cottage hospitals to j render first, aid to local esses. District Nurses. Dr Valintine j again brought up the district nurses: scheme, saying that he was prepared, j shortly, to provide three nakeha nurses ! to work among the suiiercrs of the : outlying portions of the district, and asked the members to suggest the most j suitable localities which to send these ; nurses. —As the Department has only one of these nurses at present avail- j able, Whakarewarewa was suggested ; as urgently requiring the services of j the nurse! —In furtherance of the i matter, the Chairman moved: "That j the medical superintendent be re- ; quested to report fully on the matter j of the Waikato Hospital and Chari- ! table Aid Board appointing oiw or | more experienced nurses who arc cap- j able of administering aid, advising j sufferers as to treatment, and attend j women in maternity in remote back- i block districts, where no medical man is located. The report to have particular reference to the Kawhia and . Raglan Counties and those parts of j the King Country which are distant | from the railway towns." The rcso-| lution was seconded and carried. j New Hospital Buildings. —Dr Doug- j las said the overcrowding of the hospi- , tal was becoming a serious matter, j He considered that the congestion . would be greatly relieved if the shelter sheds for consumptives were erected. —It was decided that the House Surgeon report upon the accom- j modation, present and required, upon j which the Board will go fully into the : question. In referring to the neces- j sity of providing temporary accommodation for additional nurses, Dr Douglas suggested the erection of a tent, and, on C e Board falling in with the | suggestion, undertook to sec. to the : erection of the tent.

Maori Probationers.—-Writing with reference to Maori pupils—girls—-be-ing taken into hospitals for training, Dr Valintine said that after a suitable girl has been selected she is sent for a year as day pupil to the local hospital. At the completion of that time she. is placed in a hospital "for training on the same footing as an ordinary probationer with the exception that, for the first year she receives £lO and for the second year £5 from the Education Department towards ciothing and books. Six of these girls are now in different hospitals, giving entire satisfaction, and it is not thought advisable that, under the circumstances, the Department should undertake to pay the hospital boards in return for their training.—-When this letter came up for consideration, Dr Valintine said that the Board would use its own discretion as to what, it should pay as salary to the native probationers. He also promised to consider a suggestion by the Chairman that the £lO and ,£5 paid to the natives on the first and second years respectively, be paid into the Board instead.—The letter was received.

Country Visitors. It is generally acknowledged that the visiting hours at the Hopsjtal are inconvenient for people from the country districts, it being imposisble, according to the present arrangements, for visitors to see. their friends and return home on the same day.—To obviate this difficulty, Dr Douglas suggested that country visitors be admitted on Thursday mornings from 10 to 11.30 o'clock.