KUMARA HOSPITAL.

Kumara Times, Issue 1496, 14 July 1881, Page 2

KUMARA HOSPITAL.

THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. The annual general meeting of subscribers and ticfeet-holders to the Knmara Hospital was held in the Town Hall last evening. The attendance was small. Mr J. S. Pearn was voted to the chair. The Chairman said : Gentlemen, yon are all aware of the object of this meeting. lam sorry to see so few present. It is important that in the ensuing year gnod men shoidd be elected as officers, for upon them, a great deal of the success of tile institution depends. He would call upon the Secretary to read the annual report and balance-sheet. The Secretary then read the report as follows : To the 'Subscribers id the Kuhara HoSPITAIi. The Committee, in retiring from office, have great pleasure in reporting on the continued efficiency and usefulness of this institution, and also laying befote you the beneficial results with which your charity in supprting it has been attended; During the past year the number of persons admitted to the Hospital as indoor patients amounted to 50, of whom 39 have been discharged cured, 3 relieved, 3 were incurable, 3 died, and the remaining 8 are still under treatment. In the same period 75 out-door patients have received medical and surgical attendance. The total cost of the institution for the past year has amounted to £1042 5s 2d, in which sum, however, is included £l2B 15s paid to the Greymouth and Hokitika Hospital Committees on account of previous liabilities. The average dally cost of each in-door patient is 8s 2|d, and the receipts from patients for their maintenance for the 12 months amounts to £B4 7s 6d, or an average daily payment from each in-door patient of 9jd. One hundred and sixty persons have purchased tickets, entitling the holder to the benefits derivable from the Hospital ; and one hundred and thirty one of that number have received beneficial assistance from the institution.

In consequence of the Government having notified their intention of withdrawing the subsidies to Counties and Boroughs those bodies will probably be unable to grant any assistance to Hospitals, in which case we have £3OO less income to expect. Therefore, unless a more liberal support is accorded to the incoming committee by the mining community, for whoso benefit the establishment is maintained, n'e fear it will be impossible to keep it open for the reception of patients many months longer. The annual balance-sheet is hereto attached, by which you will perceive that the solo liability of the Hospital on the 30th June amounted to £G and the available assets for the current month’s expenses is just the Government subsidy for the last quarter ending 30th June, £llO. From the, large number of patients in the Hospital of late, the Committee have had to refuse admission to several ap-

plicants. There is likewise no proper sleeping accommodation for the Wardsman.

[The balance-sheet was also read ; it appears in our advertising columns.] Mr C. Janion moved the adoption of the report and balance-sheet. Mr A. C. Campbell seconded the motion. He regretted that the report was not so favorable as last year’s when there was a creditable balance in hand; He did not know how to account for the apathy that had been manifested. They had a good wardsraan, a good matron, and an excellent medical officer. As far as he could say, there was sufficient population for the support of such an institution amongst us. He blamed the miners for not supporting it. He would say this and say it advisedly : if the miners did not support the Hospilal, they might as well close it; the amounts received from them as a body were ridiculously small. Only .£l4O bad been raised by the sale of tickets j and were it not for the entertainment, by which £BO had been realised, the total sum raised would he very small indeed. There was a falling offfiom last year. A larger amount ought to come in in the way of tickets. Miners ought to take a much larger interest than they hitherto had dorie in the maintenance of the Hospital, A local institution was indispensible. Mr Spyer said he felt bound to make a statement, it was nevertheless a fact, that hardly a single person who had been admitted into the Hospital during the past year was possessed of a ticket to entitle them to admission ; either they had no ticket, or had only purchased one simultaneously with their admission. Mr W. Nicholson said it would be as well to mention that moneys received from patients for their maintenance were not subsidised by the Government. Mr Toms wished to know if there were any legal claim against a patient who gave a promissory note for maintenance. Mr Nicholson replied in the affirmative. The report and balance-sheet were then unanimously adopted. The Chaiiman then announced that the next business would be the nomination of candidates. The following gentlemen were duly proposed and seconded :—Robert Morgan. John White, A. C. Campbell, Fred. J. Wilson, L. j. Spyer, Salvador Cxargnilio, Thomas Hughes, W. Morris, P. Kiely, John Dinau, J. S. Pearn, R. Toms. The proceedings then terminated.