OAMARU HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 533, 16 January 1878, Page 2

OAMARU HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.

The monthly meeting of the Committee was held last evening at Mr. Church's office. There were present —Messrs. Booth (in the chair). Brown, Townsend, Morris. Steward, Dunn, Headland, Mainland, Lemon, MM'ntosh, Patei'son, and Church (Secretary). MIXUTES, ETC. The minutes of the last meeting were read and continued, and the outward correspondence read and approved. KoiMcr: OF MOTION, Sir. ftibbs; gavu notice of trie following motion, to bo brought forward at the annual meeting ;—" That it is advisable to increase the number of the medical Klati', and to give the patients the right of selecting there own medical attendant ; and also to make such alterations in the rules as shall be deemed necessary to carry out the wishes of the meeting in respect of the proposed change," It was decided to advertise that the motion would be brought before the annual meeting. MEDICAL REFOIIT. Dr. Garland, the Medical Superintendent, reported that, during the year ending 31st December, 1877, 101 patients iiad been treated in the Hospital, ninety-one of whom had been discharged cured and relieved. Five patients remained in the Hospital on the 31st December, and live deaths had occurred. Of the five patients who died, three came from Dunedisi, and were admitted to. she Hospital in an utterly I'opeleas state, and if these were deducted from the number, the mortality in the Hospital during the year would be reduced to two per cent. The report also enumerated the diseases of which patients had died, and the various surgical operations performed during the year. VISITING committee's KEPOIIT.

The following report from the Visiting Committee was read and adopted, and the Committee empowered to carry out the suggestions contained in the report ; Your Committee beg to state that, in accordance with the usual custom, they visited the Hospital, and found everything in a perfectly satisfactory condition. They would respectfully call the attention of the Committee to the necessity for something to be done with reference to one of the patients, who is as well as he is likely to be, and yet, perhaps, not in a position to do a day's work. It senilis to your Committee that if the Hospital once conies to be looked upon and used as a home for inc;\i'aV)k*,s, it must suffer in all legitimate operations, as there is neither funds nor accommodation far such patients. Your- Committee would suggest that a conference should take place with the Benevolent Society's Committee in reference, not to any particular case, but to such cases in general, so that when a patient has received all the aicl the Hospital can give, and is still pronounced incurable, such an one may bo handed over to the care of the Benevolent Society as a patter of course.

The number of patients in the Hospital at present is seven—namely, one female and six males ; one or two of whom are expected to leave in a day or two. Your Committee would desire to bring under your notice the fact that the path from the main building to the fever ward would be in a state altogether unfit for use in wet weather, and would suggest that, as the asplialters brought here by the r .fW n Council are about leaving Damani, their services should be availed of to properly asphalt it, the cost for which would be LI 7 Ss.

This being the last report the present Visiting Committee v. r ill haye the honor of laying befoye you, they cannot let the opportunity pass without expressing their very great satisfaction with the clean and orderly manner in which the Hospital is kept, and with the warder's and matron's management generally.

Accounts amounting to L 29 6s. SM. were submitted to and examined by your Committee, and are herewith handed to you for payment. James Patkrson, ) ... A. J. S. Headland, ■ lsltu ,\ s Geo. R. Taylor, \ Committee. ANNUAL MEETING. It was decided to hold the animal meeting of subscribers at the Volunteer Hall on Wednesday evening, the 30th instant, at 8 o'clock. THE TRKASI-RER's REFOItT. The regular monthly report of the Treasurer as to the financial position of the Hospital was read. PAYMENT FOR MEDICAL ATTENDANCE. It having been stated that Mr. James King, a. former patient in the Hospital, was now in a position to pay for the medical attendance lie had received, the Secretary was instructed to apply to him for payment of the amount. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of L3O 10s 5d were passed for payment. ANNUAL REPORT. The report of the Committee to be submitted to the meeting of subscribers was then read by the Secretary, and adopted after some slight alterations had been made. COMPLIMENTARY. On the motion of Mr. Steward, seconded by Mr. Paterson, a vote of thanks was accorded to the President (Mr. J. Booth) and the Vice-President (Mr. T. H. Brown) for the manner in which they had presided over tiie deliberations of the Committee. The meeting then terminated.