HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 268, 22 April 1915, Page 3

HOSPITAL BOARD.

I ' —■ al ■■' ■ THE MONTHLY MEETING. The Taranaki Hospital and Charitable , lAid Board mot yesterday. Present: Mr. F. C. J. Bellringer (chairman), Mrs. Dockrill, and Messrs D. H. McDonald, A. H. Halcombe, G. V. Tate, J. .Brown, J. j R. Hill, M. J. Macßeynolds, E. Maxwell, £ G. W. Browne and D. McAUum. Mr. C. M. Lepper, acting-inspector, re'ported that during the period from March 17 'to April 21, 1915, he had visited Waitara four times and Inglewood once, and that 14 cases of infestious diseases had been notiiicd —Diphtheria 9, chickenpox 3, scarlet fever 1 and pthisis I. He had made six investigations and performed six disinfections, Mr. Kendall having investigated and disinfected at "Matau.

I WORK OF THE HOSPITAL. i Dr. E, A. Walker, medical superini tcndcnt, reported that the number of patients admitted during Marcli was 63, and 56 had been discharged.' There had been five deaths, and the number remaining in the hospital was 56. The highest number in the hospital on any one day was 63. The number of operations performed was 33. Or, Walker also reported that the number of opera- ' tions performed during the past year was 435, as against 343 in 1913, 269 in 1912 and 240 in 1911. THE OLD PEOPLE'S HOME.

Mrs. Bayly, matron of the Old People's Home, reported that during March everything had worked satisfactorily. There had been four admissions during the month and two departures: The number remaining in the Home was 34 (males 26, females 8). - NATIVE HEALTH NURSE. The Department wrote stating that at ,the present time ,it was exceedingly difficult to find nurses to undertake the positions of native health nurses, and that there were several districts where there were no nurses at all, and the work therefore was urgent. It was considered that Miss'Kelly, the district nurse at Opunake, could quite satisfactorily combine the duties of nurse to natives as well as to Europeans—at all events for the present. For this work Nurse Kelly should receive, additional pay, and to this end the Department recommended the payment to the Board of £SO per annum for the nurse, the travelling expenses to be- borne by the Board as in the case of the former native health nurse. ' The suggestion was considered to be impracticable.

MISCELLANEOUS. Dr. Wade and Dr. Brewster were appointed to deliver a course of lectures to the nurses, the appointments to date from April 1. The following names were placed on the probationers' list: —Miss I. Clarke (Auroa), Mjss E. Hamblyn (Auckland), Miss S. H. Jamieson (Tariki) and Miss E. K. A. McGinlay (Auckland). Dr. Valintine, Inspector-General of Hospitals, forwarded copies of extracts from the regulations regarding the keeping of accounts by Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards, and stating that the returns for the year ending March 31, 1014, would be required to be compiled in accordance with these reguktions.— No action was taken.

A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Blackburn, of Kaimata, for donating a purebred Jersey calf to the Board.

Accounts were passed for payment:— Hospital £6OB 18s Sd, charitable aid £205 Is 8d; total £Bl2 0s Id.