HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 51, 18 July 1912, Page 6

HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly mewling of the Taran? Hospital Hoard was held yesterday, t chairman (Mr. F. C. J. Bellringer) pi siding. Other members present wei Messrs G. \V. Browne, (I. Cutfield, 1 Maxwell. J. R. Hill, J. Brown and D H McDonald. DEDUCTED SUBSIDY. A letter was received from Dr. J. Frengley, of the Health Department, regarding an amount of £545 14s, which had been deducted from the subsidy. It was, he said, at present under consideration, but it was necessary pending the settlement of the question, to deduct the amount from the Board's subsidy before the claim could pass audit. The Health Officer added that no legal opinion had been sought on the question, the opinion expressed being that of the Audit Department. In the event of the amount being allowed, it would have to be put on the Supplementary Estimates. Several members stated that they did not see how the Department could possibly get out of paying the liability, and upon the secretary mentioning that he was conferring with Mr. Okey, M.P., on the matter, the Board passed on to other business.

WORK AMONGST THE MAORIS. Recently the Board wrote to the In-spector-General of Hospitals regarding the appointment of a nurse to be sta° tioned between New Plymouth and Opunake. A reply has been received from Dr. Yalintine, stating that he understood that a nurse had been appointed to work amongst the Maoris in that neighborhood. It was, he added, very difficult to fit nurses to work amongst the natives. He would, however, not lose, sight of the Board's request. To this end. an appointment would be made as soon as a suit-able nurse could be obtained. In case of serious outbreak, he would send up one of the permanent staff. NEW HOSPITAL PLANS.

Tim Hospital Superintendent (Dr. Walker), who \va-> in attendance at the meeting, intimated that he was not prepared to agree to all the suggested alterations in the plans of the new building by the Health Department and the Board's architects. The Board, he remarked, wished to build a hospital that would not only be thoroughly up-to-date, but which would also be capable of bei'ii"' added to at some future date, and it was here that he found fault with the amended plans. In the construction of a hospital it was essential that each ward should be a separate, self-contained unit. Dr. Walker also stated that, with the .suggested alterations, the sisters were to have no place to sit in. with the exception of the wards, while it was proposed to instal fire-places in the wards, instead of heating them with hot-water pipes. The Board empowered the chairman to proceed, together with the Superintendent, it thought necessary, to Wellington, I and go into the matter of the plans with ] the Department and the Board's archi- ] icets. One or two other questions will also be enquired into bv the chairman, j MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.

The Medical Superintendent (Dr. E. A. Walker) reported that during June 28 patients were admitted to the Hospital and 35 discharged. There had been one death, leaving 32 patients remaining in the institution. Twenty-two operations were performed. OLD PEOPLE'S HOME.

In her monthly report, the matron of the Old People's Home (Mrs. Bayly) stated that everything was satisfactory, and the discipline was good. There had been three admissions and four deaths during the month. Twenty-four males and eight females were at present in the institution.

The report was adopted, Mr. McDonald at the same time commenting that in the light of the disclr.sures made in the Magistrate's Court last month, in a case in which an inmate of the Home figured as the defendant, it was difficult to understand how the discipline was good. The cliairman intimated that he had drawn the matron's attention to the ease in point, and she regretted that, through an oversight, it was not mentioned in the report. INSPECTOR'S REPORT.

The report of the inspector (Mr. A. 11. Kendall) mentioned that during the month he had visited Inglewood, Waitara, Urenui and other places. One case of phythisis was notified in the Egmont county, and one of enteric fever in New Plymouth. In accordance with instructions received from the Public Health Department, he had reported in connection with licensing committees within the Taranaki hospital district. He had also reported upon a supposed case of children attending a public building with fever, and also upon the sanitary condition of Urenui. He had also inspected, regularly, the butchers' and bakers' premises in the places visited, and enquired into an alleged nuisance upon the Egmont road.