HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 177, 13 December 1912, Page 7

HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Taranaki Hospital Board met yesterday. The chairman (Mr. F. C. J. Bellringer) presided, and other members present were: Messrs G. W. Browne, W. Cutfield, E. Maxwell, M. J. Macßeynolds, D. MeAllum, J. Brown, D. IT. McDonald and J. R. Hill. FREE TRAINING OF MIDWIVES.

Touching on the question of the free training of inidwivcs, Dr. Valintine, In-spector-General of Hospitals, drew attention to the advisability of (1) defining in what localities such nurses were to serve their two years under the Board when they had received their and (2) of making arrangements, either as regards guarantee, subsidy or salary in the case of those nurses stationed in districts where there was not sufficient scope to enable them to obtain a fair remuneration for their work. The Inspector-General added that it had come to his notice that, though boards had taken advantage of the Department's offer to train pupils considered specially suitable for the former, some boards 'had taken no further responsibility as regards placing midwives trained under these conditions in localities where their services wore needed, and offering them any inducement to stay there. The letter was received, the chairman . stating that it did not affect the Board, as it had not taken advantage of the provisions mentioned. " HIGHWAY ROBBERY."

Advice was to hand from the Education Department that it had received, by a deduction from the amount of subsidy forwarded by the Treasury, the sum of £4G 17s lid, being the charges for the maintenance of children in special schools. The Board considered the action of the Education Department as 'highway robbery" and decided to formally proteat against it. The sum owing by the Board to the Department had been in dispute for some considerable time past. GENERAL. Dr. Valintine also communicated with the Board on another subject. The Department had, he said, never objected to supplying bottles for milk supplies. A bottle suitable for the work had been, he said, ordered from England. When the supply arrived all inspectors w»uld be provided' with a stock. In the mean-time,-they, had to get on as best thev could with" such bottles as could be procured, The Treasury notified that the sum of ■£437 8s Id had been placed to the credit o5 the B.oard.- ' Mrs.,C. Stuart-Larsen, secretary of the Uruti. Nursing Fund Committee, wrote enclosing £l7, representing the quarterly payment towards the nurse's salary. On the..score of expense, Mr. Maxwell withdrew his notice of motion relative to the reorganisation of the office staff. THE HOSPITAL. In a report covering November, the medical superintendent, Dr E. A. Walker, stated that- 30 patients had been admitted, and 38 discharged. There had been three, deaths in the institution, leaving 31 patients .remaining in the hospital. Eighteen operations had been performed during the month.OLD PEOPLE'S HOME.

The matron (Mrs. A. Bayly) reported that everything had been working very satisfactorily in the Old People's Home during the: past month. The discipline had been very good. There had been ■four admissions, two deaths and one departure, leaving in the Home 30 males and seven females. INSPECTOR'S RETORT.

The Inspector (Mr. A. H. Kendall) reported that he had visited Inglewood, Waitara and other places. Three cases of scarlatina and one case of tuberculosis had been notified in the district. He had visited and enquired into all these cases and reported thereon to the Public Health: Department in Wellington. He had disinfected premises at Inglewood after recovery from scarlet fever, also disinfected prpmises in New Plymouth after occupation by scarlatina patients, together with the vehicle which moved the patients to the Hospital. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £752 18s 6d were passed for payment.