HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 209, 25 August 1908, Page 4

HOSPITAL BOARD.

The liionlllly meeting or the Hospital board was held on -'.loiuluy. present: -iu->i.i. i-'. c. lieiirtager (chairman;, Geo. \\. litou,l;.', ,Jas. Burgess, C. Andrews, J. ii. mil, J. Lirown, C. •O Sullivan, and IK 11. McDonald. HOM'tIAL UJlAliiiiiS.

The chairman moved thai, Uu,; following recommendations. oi the recent coaiereiicc at Haw era be adopted and toriu pail, of to-days proceedings:— Having m view tiie lac» that ,-yriy inemtier of the coinniu.iity contributes ilireeUy or indirectly (or uotii) to the erection and maintenance of public liuapitals, till- Conference alliuns tliuu any person is entitled to claim admission to such hospital ioi treatment as a matter of right and not of privilege or charity; that this i. onierence approves that patients from one liospiial district desirous of being treated wi tile hospital of another district shall be admitted to such hospital on the recommendation of tiie tioaril oi such hospital district; it svas resolved to recommend to the Boards (by tne delegates present) that the maintenance charges for patients be increased ironi tne Ist September, 100S, to (is per mem for patients m a Board's district, and 7s per diem for those from other districts and extra medical attendance, and minor operations as at present. Air. iJurgeSs said lie. was well satisfied with the result of the conference. For his own part, if he were seriously ill he would rather go to ISie Mew Plymouth hospital than any other place What the knew of. Hut he would not like to feel that he was accepting' charity, although 110 lelt he had a perfect right to use the institution.

Mr. Hill said that tlie doctors insisted that every inmate' of tfiie hospital was a recipient of charity. JUr. McDonald uiao congratulated the chairman on the results acnieved, especially mentioning the chairman for the manner in which lie had fought for this Board's principles, lie was pleased that the conference had put its foot down upon the proposal of the doctors to establish private nursing wards attached to the nospiial. The doctors wanted also, it appeared, to have the rig[ht to say who should and who sliould not lie permitted lo enter the hospital. That was Uie business of the Hoard, not thcir's. Mr. .J. Brown said it was not well enough known that voluntary contributions to the hospital earned a Government subsidy of 24s in the £. They were not all mean people who went into the hospital, and many of ithoni could afford a little more than the amount charged at the institution, and there were many, he knew, who would have made donations had they known the donations would liave tarned subsidy. He suggested tlmt cards be printed and placed in the lios pital building to dispel the ignorance on this point. 'l'he chairman and Mr. G. Browne concurred, mentioning an instance of a patient donating £3 above his hospital fees. That meant an actual cash gain of £0 12s to the Hoard. " The recommendations of the conference were adopted. MEDICAL REPORT.

Tho Medical Superintendent reported that there had been 31 patients admitted to the hospital, IS discharged, two had died, and 37 now remained in the institution. There had been two cases in the consumptive annexe, and six diphtheria cases and one of scarlet fever m tiie isolation ward. 'ilii-s showed how absolutely needed were the isolation ward alterations and accommodation for tlie 'nurses attending isolation cases. Fo«r of the diphtheria eases had required the operation of tracheotomy.

OLD PEOPLE'S HOME. Mr. A. E. Earrar, manager of the Old People's Home, reported that during the month four males 'had been admitted and one inmate liad left the institution. General health of the inmates was satisfactory, and discipline good. He recommended the increase of tlxe assistant's wages, and reported that the recent gale 'had caused some damage to the fences and chimneys at the Home. A. E. Jackson, assistant in the Home, was granted an increase of five, Shillings a week in his wages. DESTITUTE CHIMJREX. Several ■ applications w;'iv received from people desirous of adopting children in the custody of the Board. PIIOI3AX.IO.NEK. Miss M. C. BlcWett (I'akuranga, Auckland) applied KplMv-.. kei n«mo placed on the probationers' list.—Approved. ACCOUNTS.

Accounts were passed for payment: Hospital, C 3-11 lis 3d; tharitablo aid, £i;SU lUs lid.