HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 369, 21 April 1910, Page 2

HOSPITAL BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held yesterday. Present: Messrs F. C. J. Bellringer (chairman), W. Cutiield, Mcßeynolds, C, Andrews, J. Brown, C. O'Sullivan, D. H. McDonald, Gl W. Browne, J. R. Hill, E. Maxwell, and G. V. Tate.

MEDICAL REPORT. Dr. Walker, acting-superintendent, in the absence of Dr. Leatham, reported for the month of March:—Patients admitted 35, discharged 32, died 3, remaining in hospital 33; number of operations 12. OLD PEOPLE'S HOME.

Mrs. FaTrar, manager of the Old People's Home, reported that during the month there had been three admissions and two departures. Discipline was good. There were now 28 male inmates and four females. THE CONSUMPTIVE ANNEXE.

Dr. Valintine, Inspector-General of Hospitals, wrote that he had been informed by the superintendent of the Cambridge Sanatorium that the medical superintendent at New Plymouth had declined to admit a Taranaki consumptive patient, now in the sanatorium, prei sumably because it was an incurable 1 case. He hoped that this decision would not ibe adhered to. He pointed out that the Cambridge Sanatorium was reserved only for those cases of consumption in which there was reasonable prospect of a cure, and that those who were unfortunately not iidcely to be cuxed must return to their respective hospital districts for treatment in the hospital or otherwise as the Board of the district responsible might decide. | It transpired' that the patient belonged to the Hawera district, and that no application in the matter had been received from the Hawera Board. Further, the agreement under which patients were received in the annexe from the Hawera district provided that no incurable patients were to be admitted. Members thought it would be a great i mistake to allow the consumptive annexe to be made the dumping ground for incurable cases, for it would mean that the place would soon be practically useless for the treatment of the cases for which it had been erected,, because the medical men would not send patients there.

Mr. McßeynoJus said he was sure the Hawera Board would not ask for the admission of an incurable case.

The chairman quoted Dr. Leatham's [ expression of opinion that it would not he advisable for early and curable cases of tuberculosis to be associated with patients in advanced stages of the disease, and in a dying condition. He also distinctly remembered that Dr. Valintine stated, when the annexe was first ■proposed, that the building was for the treatment of our own consumptives, and that statement had been repeated by Sir Joseph Ward at the opening of the intsitution. Dr. Valintine wrote that in future a charge of twenty shillings per week would be made bv the Department of Public Health ior each indigent patieiit admitted to the Government Sanatorium at Cambridge on the application of hospital and charitable aid boards.