HOSPITAL BOARD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 85, 9 April 1912, Page 6

HOSPITAL BOARD.

■ MONTHLY-MEETING. ■-■ The usual meeting ov the St;afford Hospital and Char.taole A;d lio-ud was held this -morintg, there being present: Messrs. E. Marfell, 'E. Hine, J. McAllister, S. 'Ward, J. Smith, and W. .^oge/3. nei?gatir?s Powers. Correspondence wis r.:coi"ed from the County Clerk, notifying that the Stratford 'County Conned would take no action in the matter of deiegai:ng its powers to the Foaid. 0.. Stevan's Report. The Medical Sup.'ii ilomhnt reported that during March thirteen patients were admitted, n.ne were discharged, and there were no c'naths, so that fourteen patients rema'n. Four operations were performed under anaesthetics. Hoalth Officer's Report. _ . The sanitary inspector repotted that one ease of scarlet fev.u had been notified in the Stratford Borough. r Jhe patient is isolated at acme, .with a trained nurse in attendance. Disnrfectlon was. carried out at premises in the Stratford County, after death turn phthisis. The bedding was burnt, and wall paper, which was in good condition, was wiped down with 2|- of solution of Jeyes' fluid. Stratford Borough : The* back yard of a local fish shop had now been concreted. WhUe inspecting the promises of a certain Chinese fruiterer he found that he was using a w.c. for storing foodstuffs. He caused him to remove the goods from the place and discontinue storing anything for human food -therein. He had asked shopkeepers who .exposed food at shop doors, to , keep it up from the pavement, so that 'dogs cannot taint or damage same; giving as reasons for asking such that hydatids came from dogs. ,A special report was written to the District Health Officer, dealing with the sanitary conditions-of all public stables in the Borough. Complaint had been received from a certain station Dot many miles from Stratford that insanitary practices were permitted. During this month the District Health Officer visited the district. He condemned three buildings in Stratford, and asked for extensive repairs to another building. He condemned one building, used as shop and dwelling at Midhirst. Matron's Report. The Matron reported that Nurse Brake had returned from her annual holiday on the 10th hist. She would like something done to the front doors of the Hospital before the winter months. Tendars. The following tenders were received:—Milk, A. A. STeal;; meat, J. Hume; bread, Central Co-op. Stores; groceries, Central Co-op. Stores. Cfoairsnan's Report. The Chairman then remarked that this : was really the annual meeting, since it was the end of the financial year, he presented the following report:—"l have pleasure in submitting to the Board a short report of the year's working, and in doing so, desire to congratulate all concerned upon the :yery satisfactory relations existing between the Board and the whole of its staff, and also upon the fact that the staff works together so smoothly and efficiently for the conduct of the hospital and the comfort and welfare of each and every patient; this is proved by the statements of numbers of patients'who have been unfortunate in having to lay up, but fortunate, in falling into, such capable hands."' A'" visit" of "Inspection"" to the Hospital will convince that the order and discipline 'is i good, and that all things are well, kept. The staff consists of the Superintendent (Dr. Steven), Matron (Miss O'Brien), Nurse McLean, and three probationers— Misses Bleu it (three years), Brake (two years), Healy (one year), a wardsman, -also a cook and a housemaid, nearly the whole of the laundry work is done at; the hospital, with some outside assistance. The work in the grounds is attended to by Mr. Officer, who has charge of the flower beds, drives, etc.,' and he also keeps the institution well supplied with vegetables, Mr. Milne is in charge of the lawns.

''The purchase 'from the Stratford Borougn of the four sections lying at the lower end of the lawn, and with Board property on each side, has been completed .at a total cost (including transfer and legal expense) of £172, and the work ot erecting an isolation building thereon has been undertaken, and is now proceeding satisfactorily. During the year the three Boards—vi/.., New Plymouth, 'Hatvera, and Stratford, have entered into an agreement whereby the New Plymouth Board undertakes to provide accommodation and to care for incurables from each of the districts. The movement to send a district nurse to the neighbourhood of Strathmore is still held up, as the settlers concerned have not yet come forward with the guarantee (about £6O) required by the Board. On the recommendation of the Department the appointment of a sanitary inspector was made by the Hawera and Stratford Boards jointly, each body contributing half the cost. That contribution is altered as from the Ist April, 1912—Hajyera's to be three-fifths and Stratford's two-fifths. This puts it in a nearer ratio to the respective values of the two districts. It is most necessary that the attention of the authorities concerned be again drawn to the number of patients coming in to the hospital from the public works, the bulk of whom neither pay' rates or their hospital fees, and that something be done in the direction of the Department deducting say Is a month from each employee to be handed over to the Board on its undertaking to treat these cases free of charge. The following table shows the proportion of patients from each contributing district: 1011-12: Total patients 102, Stratford Borough 55, Stratford County 3G, Whangamomona County 03. The Board's expenditure for the year has been well within the estimates in both the ordinary and capital accounts, lis will be shown by the secretary's statement, in considering the estimates for the ensuing year it will be necessary to provMe for. completion of isolation ward and laying out of grounds (capital account) and also for one more on the permanent stall'. I wish to express my appreciation of the work of the secretary (Mr. T. H. I'enn) and to thank members of the Board for their and for that courtesy which "has always beeit extended to'the chair." Mr. Ward moved a hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman For his statement. This was seconded by Mr. Smith'and carried unanimously.