SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24400, 11 September 1940, Page 11

SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITALS

MONTHLY BOARD MEETING The monthly meeting of the South Otago Hospital Board was held yesterday at Balclutha. Mr A. T. Harris occupied the chair, and there were also present Messrs W.-J. McKenzie, J. W, Fenton, A. Rennie, H. A. Brough, A. V. King, Adam King, D. McGregor. W. Sutherland. A. Heriton, and J. R. Copland. Maternity Ward at Milton The Milton branch of the W.D.F.U. and the Milburn-Clarendon branch of the same organisation wrote urging the necessity for the establishment .at Milton of a maternity ward or cottage hospital. Mr McGregor • said the correspondence showed, clearly how . badly' the maternity

accommodation was needed. If they were going to use the main ward for maternity cases, the patients would go to Dunedin. Tire chairman, said the board could not go ahead like a racehorse. It had done very well in a short time. He agreed that Milton should have a maternity hospital. Everything should be done to ensure the survival of every child. The discussion at. the previous meeting in connection with the children’s block at’Balclutha and the . maternity ward at Milton was continued, Mr McGregor moving that the maternity ward should take precedence over the children’s’ block. Mr Fenton took exception to any proposal which would involve the use of money raised for the children's ward for any other purpose. There was some discussion on Mr McGregor’s proposal, and members agreed that the maternity ward should be provided at Milton if finance could be found. The money borrowed for the

children’s ward, it was agreed, could not possibly be diverted from that purpose. The motion was lost. It was decided to make a renewed appeal to the public bodies concerned for support in raising a loan for extensions at the Milton Hospital. General Admissions to the board’s hospitals in' August totalled 128, discharges 120. Ninety patients remained at the end of the period.