Hospital and Charitable Ald Board.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 247, 17 November 1903, Page 2

Hospital and Charitable Ald Board.

The Board mot on Monday. Present : Messrs Tisch (Chairman), I'igott, Andrews, Brown, Hine, Gray, Liardet, and Mackay.

The Stratford Borough awl County Councils forwarded October; contributions.

The secretary of the Oakura branch of the Farmers' Union wrote, asking for a monthly list of person* in thai district receiving clau-iuiU< aid.

Air Henry Brown wrote, calling attention to a deserving case for as* sistance ill Ingle wood. From Mrs Overton Smith cm the same subject.

It was reported that 12s a week had been granted. Leave of absence was granted to Mr McDonald. On the motion of Mr Mackay, seconded by. Mr Pigott, it was decided that the ltahotu branch of the Farmers' Union be informed that the information asked for by them can lie obtained from the ofiice ol any County or Borough Council in

the district. A letter was read from Mr G. Stutobs, re the case of a man in the Mokau mines, who had been in the hospital, and on leaving had drawn £SO accident insurance, but had not paid his hospital fees. Mr Gray thought the Board should have first claim on the insurance money in these cases,

It was pointed out that the man had a family to maintain, and that the cost of medical assistance and of bringing him to town was very considerable. Mr Stubbs wrote that the man was honest and industrious, and would settle the liability. Applications to be placed on the probation list were granted. The Hawera Hospital Board wrote applying for settlement of account not in dispute.—Agreed to. Information asked for by the Hawera Board had been supplied by the seci-etary.

In answer to Mr Gray, the Chairman said a separate register was being kept of those men admitted from Hawera to the Old Men's Home.

Mr Farrar sent his monthly report on the Old People's Home. The Chairman moved, and Mr Mackay seconded, that the report be adopted, and that Wm. Olliver, an inmate, be appointed assistant at the Old Men's Home. The Chairman's report was read and adopted, as under

There is very little to report. Things are going on smoothly at the Home and the Hospital. The committee appointed to consult with the St. John's Ambulance Association

asks that the time be extended to next meeting to report on a horse ambulance for some central place 011 the coast. Ornamental Lake and Fountain.— This work is about completed. The th'aniks of the Board are due to Mr Russell, stonemason, and Mr Griffiths, plumber, for work done gratuitously in connection with the fountain. Children under Board's Control.— Mrs Crozicr has applied to adopt a boy under ten years. The necessai'v papers have been prepared by the Board's solicitor and signed by the Chairman. A girl aged 12 years is now on the Board's hands. She is at present in the Jfoine under Mrs Farrar's care. The girl is of a cheerful disposition, and there should be little difficulty in getting her placed in a good home. Old People's Home.—There are 37 inmates in the Home. The manager requires an assistant. I recommend the Board to appoint Mr Oliver, who Iras been an inmate, and who has rendered valuable assistance, and iswilling to accept the position. Nurse O'Brien has served her three years as prob-ationery nurse, -and is now entitled to be placed temporarily 011 the nursing staff. I recommend that she be paid a bonus of £5 for past services while in charge of the ward. The Board went into committee on Charitable Aid Board. On resuming accounts were read and passed for payment Hospital £217 J 3s, Charitable Ai-d £l4l 17s lid.

It was decided to call for tenders for supplies to the Hospital and Home.

Mr Andrews moved that the Board communicate with the Government with regaixl to appointing and subsidising medical men to reside at Mokau and Wharegamomona. He said the motion was the outcome of a discussion at a previous meeting oi' the Hoard, but nothing had then been done to meet the case. Probably members knew as well as he did of the hardships suffered by those unfortunates who met with accidents in the backblocks, and had to be brought into the hospital. The g'l-eatest of the inconvenience and

distress was caused by the companions or workmates of the injured men having 110 practical knowledge of ambulance or first aid, arid ho thought that if a medical practitioner were stationed in the bush districts many u man: would be saved great suffering. He knew of a case where a young man was hurt, not

very seriously either, in the bush district to the eastward of Stratford. He had to be taken on an improvised stretcher to the latter town, and when the bearers arrived there he was completely exhausted, and tho case became serious. He could cite other cases of a similar nature. Then again they must consider that men with families who' were taking up land always looked for two things, viz., reasonable access to schools] and medical attendance. Here in Taranaki, schools had followed'close on the heels of settlement, but they were not so well off in the matter of medical attendance in the buck districts. Mr Jennings had advocated a system lor the Government of planting medical men here and theiv m the backblocks, and this led him to hojKi that the Government would do something l in the matter. He did nut think, of course, that the best doctors would be available, but there were men wlio might like to rusticate for a few years. Then there weio men in the medical profession who migiht have a liking for farmingl, and these could make a fair income from farming, fees, and Government subsidy. His idea was that when the finances of the Board would stand it, J: 1(1(1 m j ff ht be devoted to the maintenance of a doctor in each of the districts mentioned and the Government would be asked to donate a similar sum if the Government would not assist they must consider how far thev could deal with this matter themselves. He would like to see provision made in framing next, year's estimates. It was an urgent' matiMii ♦, WOuW B ' lVO I "°' y ' relief to co t uld 'do than anylhl, ' ff el - they

All- Drown seconded, ^ a f kil ' v Knid h <" would oppose knew ,!\ looth nnf l »ail. Thev K"c\v that the professions, includinir ami TT 1 ! "; ofession - Wl " ,v l'uckcd, other I, .'" o '." ' 8 WOr ° j° stli »B h ,; , , 1 slri,ck hil " " as that tiKj could not get medical men tc , 111 the fouckMocks, with a chance of l,is services being required peihaps once a week, perhaps once in • Andrews had advou h ,;, d ha y m K a man on U ie spot vr i nccld entn occurred. His (Mr Mackay's) opinion was that mnbuance appliances and knowledgo of the principles of first aid were all that were required. He hud a notion Ot What sort «rf man would go out into the wilds for £2OO subsi.lv " ", e wurt ' worth his salt he could make a letter living somewhere else. 1 he Board would get a man who had been tried and found wanting, und lie, of course, would bo

unite willing to go and vegetate there, and problaibly when roq/uired to attend a case he would not be fit to go. He referred to the fact that tho Government paid a £. for £. subsidy on Uie amount sutecnbod by local bodies for hospital purposes, and £1 is for evfi-y £1 of donations. In all prot&bility the Government would inform the Board, when they wroto ,11 tlx; mutter, that the hospital was already liberally subsidised, and II more were wanted the linnrd iniil,! ,ijiU tlie. money iiM-'li. He «i>itUl l e 'voting a single pennj in i.ho inection indicated by Mr Andrew*, as it would be throwing good money uw-ay. What, he had advocated, and .vhat he still believed in, was that he Government should provide provide proper ambulance appliances. It was owing to want of these, and inot for want of medical assistance, that these men quoted by Mr Andrews had suffered. Take the case of the man who was seriously injured in the district east of Stratford. After being bumped over miles of roads, without proper provision lor comfort the sufferer probably arrivfcd in Stratford with a few hours ft) wait for the train. Then he woultt be placed in a van to be brought Into the hospital. Trains jolted mou'i'fli for oi-dinary persons, but the •Hidden stoppages must be trying indeed to a man with injured litqbfl. The proper remedy was a hospital at Stratford, and ambulance appliances placed at the disposal of settlers on the out districts. He specially mejtt(ioned the East lioad, because he considered that the country to the east of Strteitford was (foirfg to make Tarunakj. Doulbtless Mokau and llahotu these lacilities too, the former place especially. They wanted ambulance stretchers and an ambulance car on the train, Inferring to Mr Andrew's contention that a doctor at Whangamomona would Uo a great t*>on, what could a medical man do in the case of a serious accident there ? Could he keep the par tient out there ? or operate on him ? No ; the most he could do would be to deaden pain and send the man on to Strafford, for was no less essenttial than medical aid.

Mr Gray considered'',that Mr Mackay had driftod from the sujbijecj. Mr Andrews had caught up the of a doctor, and Mr Mackay bad go no off to the Stratford cottage hospital question. The Board had considered that, and would not have it.

Mr Mackay : We will, though. Mr Gray considered the motion in place, and he wanted it fairly dealt with. He would support Mr Andrews.

Mr Brown did not agree With Mr Mackay, and thought a good man ould be got for Whangamomona, where the population was rapidly increasing. There would-be plenty of work for a doctor without accidents, and it would be a poor look-out for a medical man if he hold to depend entirely on these. He did not think Mr Mackay had ever been felling bush, or he would know hi* suggestion to have amtyjlanceo in the Hush was impracticable. It could rot surely be thought that men would travel perhaps twenty miles for a stretcher. Mr Mackay : It would be there. Mr Brown : At every camp? Hi was certain that men would not travel 15 to 20 miles to get an ambulance, and even if they did li\j doubted whether it could be taken through the bush!

Mr Liardet said he would vote ag» ainst the motion, because no competent medical men could be Induced to go out to the blackblocks. Only a poor class of men would -be available. He would not refer to the Stratford Cot tape 'Hospital question now; Mr Andrews had implied that in case of an accident in the tush the doctor could patch up the patient and send him on. This patching up would not be of as much value as good ambiance appliances stationed at WhanjJamomona or Strathmore, so that patients could b« transferred from the improvised stretchers of their friends' construction to more comfortable quarters. He would like to relieve backl>lo«ka settlers of their hardships, but ■ did not consider it could be done in the way Mr Andrews had suggested. At any rate he did not think the Government would accede to the request, i even if it were made, as it was authoritatively stated that subsidies to local bodies were more likely to be reduced than increased.

Mr Pigott opposed tho motion, considering it better to telephone Tor a town doctor than to trust to getting a country practitioner, and in many cases this would mean a saving of time. He believed that ambulance appliances should be left at outlying townships, so that sufferers could be comfortably carried to town.

Mr Hine sakl he was rather taken wiith the motion, looking at If from a humanitarian point of view. In oases of severe injury by accident immediate aid was a good thing, and he would like to tee the Governinent take this step. The Chairman mentioned that Pr. Hutchans, who had settled at Tarata, had been a real boon to that district, and had been kept fairly busy. He saiid the whole question of. ambulance would be discussed at next meeting on receipt of the special committee's report, and he was rather in favour of providipg tbesa and obtaining men of practical experience in such matters. Mr Liardet moved as an amendment was carried on the casting vote of the chairman, Messrs Pigott, Liardet, Hine and Mockay voting with the "ayes," and Messrs Tisch, Andrews, BroKn and Oiay with the "noes."

In answer to Mr Liardet, the ' nxv retary said that in case of a msn dying without friends the police looked after the matter of tyuriaJ, etc. The Board adjourned.