Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 18

HOSPITAL BOARD.

The meeting of the Otago District Hospital Board was held on Feb. 27; present — Messrs M. Stevenson (chairman), D. Boss, J Clarke, T. Aitken, W. J. Burk. P. Miller, J. Mosley, J. H. Walker, J. Mill, md Dr Betchelor. I FINANCE COMMITTEE. ! The Finance Committee reported having txamined the various accounts for the month of January, amounting to £1022 13s 9d (Hospital Trustees £673 10s lOd, Fever Hospital £179 12s, and Consumptive Sana- : torium £169 10s lid), and recommended that the same be passed for payment. The receipts for January amounted to £838 6s 3d, and the bank book showed a debit balance of £1637 4s 8d at 25th February. — Adopted. SCABLBT FEVER OUTBREAK. The committee appointed to attend to the outbreak of scarlet fever in the Dunedin Hospital reported having had several . interviews with Dre Valintine and Ogston and the Hospital Trustees. The medical , officers were unanimously of opinion that the matter of immediate removal of the patients was extremely urgent, as the ! presence of such a number of cases of scarlet fever in a general hospital was a menace to the inmates of the institution. ] The committee, along with Drs Valintine and Ogston. waited on Lieutenant-, colonel Smyth, of the Defence Department, re obtaining leave to erect a temporary fever hospital on a piece of ground adjoining the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Pelichet Bay. A eubable site was granted, also a supply of . tents provided, and men to erect same, by the Defence Department. The matter of arrangement of details and removal of patients from Dunedin Hospital were then left in the hands" of the chairman (Mr Stevenson). Th« committee wished to thank Lieutenant-colonel Smyth, of the Defence Department, for the very cordial ' manner in which he assisted them to carry out the necessary arrangement*; also Drs Valintine and Ogston for their valuable advice and assistance. The Matron in charge (Mies Stronach) reported (under date February 18) us follows:—"The fever camp was opened on Saturday. January 25, when a party of 12 were conveyed by the ambulance from the isolation ward of the Dunedin Hospital to their destination on the shores of Lake Logan. The party consisted of six children, three sick nurses, one woman, the nurse-io-charge, and a night nurse. On arrival it was found that a woman had been engaged to cook, and that a man would also be on the premises day and night. The tents numbered five, two Jarge marquees for patient* (one with a wooden floor), and three bell tent*. A small tin kitchen .had also been built a short way off. All that was necessary in the way of provisions had already been provided, and a supply of water from the Dunedin Corporation wafe ready for u«e. On the Monday a.fter the arrival of the party in camp -wab connected with the town by telephone. On January 29 another small patient was admitted, making the "total number of patients 11. Up to the present time they are all getting on well, one of the children who first developed the fever having returned to her home this morning, while another k expected to return this afternoon. Two nurses are conWlesoent, and havo taken on the duties of night nursing, and the service of the night nurse itave been dispensed with. The camp ir

visited daily by Dr Pitchett, the phyaician in charge, and also frequently by Mr Stevenson, chairman of the board." The Chairman reported that the whole coet of erecting and equipping the camp had been £134 12s, exclusive of salaries. He had paid frequent visits up to date to the camp, and was well satisfied with the manner in which everything is carried out and attended to. There were a good few of the patients convalescent, and the dootor said they should be able to have all the patients away and ready to close the camp by the 13th of March. The tents, kitchen, and all contents of same were insured against fire, and all the employees were protected by insurance against accident. On the motion of Mr Mosley, the several reports were adopted, and a hearty vote of thanks accorded the chairman and Mr Miller and Dr Batchelor, who constituted the sub-committee set up to deal with the emergency that had arisen in consequence of the outbreak. Speoial mention was made by Mr Mosley and Dr Batchelor to the untiring energy displayed by Mr Stevenson (the chairman). PKOVISION FOR INCURABLES. The committee who were authorised to act re the removal of incurable cases and incurable consumptives from the Dunedin Hospital reported having arranged a meeting with the Benevolent Trustees and Drs Valintine and Ogston, when the subject was fully discussed, and final arrangements were arrived at whereby it was agreed that the Benevolent Trustees 'would provide accommodation for incurables (unsuitable for hospital treatment), and, further, would make such alterations in the hospital pavilion of the Benevolent Institution as would prove suitable for the reception there of 12 cases of incurable consumptives until such -time as the board could make more permanent provisions. — The report was adopted. On the motion of Dr Batchelor, it was agreed to send a letter to the Benevolent Trustees thanking them for the assistance they had afforded the 'board in this matter. TKcir action, it w«fl stated, kacl saved tko ratepayers considerable expense. Dr Batchelor also mentioned that the cases had already been removed from the General Hospital. INFKCTIOUS DISEASES HOSPITAL. The Chairman stated that at his request the secretary had written to the Minister regarding the course to be adopted to secure the vote of £2000 on last year's Estimates for an infectious diseases hospit *tal, and a reply had been received that the moner was payable by way of a pound for Dound subsidy on the amounts received , from local bodies. It was therefore now necessary for them to pass a resolution notifying the 31 local bodies that they would make a levy on them in terms of the order made by Mr Widdowson, S.M., on August 29, 1907, for £2500. The estimated ooat of the • erection- of the hospital, equipment, and maintenance for one year was £5000.

The secretary waa accordingly instructed to make th» lery -on the -31 contributing local bodies forthwith. The Secretory reported that he had forwarded a communication to eaoh of the local .bodies in connection with the supervision of the isolation of peraona in country distriots. He had receired replies from 13 bodies, and. with one exception, all had agreed. to the suggestion of the board, and would assist to the best of their ability. In the case of the dissenting looal body, tunr stated that while they could not agree

to undertake the supervision or isolation of any person suffering from an infectious disease they were willing to give every assistance to the health officer in attending to the case.

It was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the secretary to explain, further all that was asked to be done by the local bodies.

ACCOMMODATION FOR NURSES.

The committee appointed to arrange with the Hospital Trustees re providing nurses for the Infectious Diseases Hospital, and aleo for any oases that require isolation in the country districts, reported that after conferring with the trustees appointed to discuss the same, the trustees pointed out that in consequence of the adoption of the eight^hour system for nurses, and also in view of the opening of the new pavilion (and increase in the number of cases to be .provided for) extra nurses would be required, and that if they were to provide nurses for the Hospital Board they would need extra accommodation in the Nurses' Home, which was at present overcrowded. However, the trustees expressed a desire to do all they could to assist the Hospital Board in the, way of providing njji-ses, and it was agreed that if the boarcT could see its way to supply the trustees with funds, say to the extent of £3000, for building extra accommodation for nurses, the trustees would in turn do their best to provide the Hospital Board with nurses when required by them. On the motion for the adoption of the report, the question was raised whether by doing so the board committed itself to the expenditure of £3000 for increased acoommodation for nurses.

The Chairman said the work was very necessary, and he thoaght they should agree 'to it.

Dr Batohelor said that there would be a large increase in the nursing staff of the Hospital, and rhe trustees were agreed that the increase was essential. At present they were at times unable to pfoce delirious and noisy patients in the isolation wards because of the lack of nurses. The present nurses' quarters were greatly overcrowded. What ma »sk-©d for w» provision for 24- additional beds in the home, which would be ample for many years to come. Eighteen extra beds were presently urgently required, but while they were about it the trustees considered it advisable that 2+ should be provided. Mr Mosley and Mr Will supported the proposalMr Miller questioned whether they had power to vote £3000 for such a work without any previous notice having been given. The Chairman said that the work to be done included, in addition to providing the nurses' accommodation, the painting of certain wards, and the provision' of fire escapes. Mr Walker thought they should have more detailed information before voting the money. On the motion of Mr Clark, it was eventually resolved to hold -the consideration of ■the matter over until next week, a copy of the report to be supplied to eaoh member in the interval. „

A little Maori boy, probably not more than five years of age, has a remarkably docile dog. He lives in one of the kaingas between New Plymouth and Waitara, and travellers by road often see the little chap seated in a smell cart drawn by his canine friend. The harness is an elaborate affair.