HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 240, 16 February 1911, Page 6

HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Board meeting yesterday was at tended by Messrs. K. C. J. Bellringei - (chairman), G. W. Browne, E. Maxwell, C. Andrews. J. R. Hill, J. Brown, G. V. Tate, C. O'Sullivan. M. J. Maclleynolds, and D. H. McDonald. THE BY-LAW ON VISITING. Dr. Walker waited upon the Board in regard to several matters which he l wished attended to before leaving on [holiday. The first was in reference to the position that has grown up in connection with visiting days. The doctor, although lie had the by-law behind him in regard to visitors on visiting days, viz., Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, wislied the Board to strengthen his hands in having the by-law carried out. There would be, of course, no red-tape barriers put up in respect to visitors from the country, as heretofore, but liu wished to object to visitors on the verandah on any day provided the patient w.\t sufficiently convalescent. Comp.iin's had been made by patients reg;inlii:g the visitors to other patients, aii.l hi- considered there was cause for complaint for the reason that patients should be given all the rest and quietness possible. One patient had half a dozen visitors one day, and "they were very happy, and talked of operations and' other gruesome things all the time, and this played upon one poor littlo woman's nerves." The doctor proposed that even to the Verandah visitors should be restricted to the visiting dayi. It certainly Would be considered an infringement of their rights by the Taranaki people, but it was a step that must be taken in the interests of the hospital. The chairman said he had been informed of the trouble by the matron on account of patients complaining to her. The business of the Board was to cater for the sick, and if by the action ol visitors any patients were inconvenienced, they should do all in their power to protect them. Dr. Walker again stated that there would be no question of red-tape in dealing with country visitors, and every allowance would be made for them as in the past. It was resolved that the by-law be strictly enforced.

GENERAL. Mr. A. C. Ritchie, secretary to the Wanganui Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, forwarded the following resolutions which had been passed by his Board on the 18th inst:—"That this Board expresses its keen sense of the injustice done to individuals giving valuable services to public bodies and institutions by the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1009, and considers that the principles contained in thai Act are wrong, and will have the tendency of driving the handling of public works and funds into the hands of inexperienced men; and that notice of the passage of this resolution be supplied to all other hospital and charitable aid boards." Tlie names of Miss Lillias Hammond, of Marton, and Miss Nora Condon, of weTe added to ■#ie outside probationers' il&ijihlE