NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 April 1916, Page 6

NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL.

AX INCREASE OF PATIENTS. LITTLE CHARITABLE AID. NEW NURSES' HOME. The annual meeting of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held yesterday, Mr. F. C. J. Bellrino-cr presiding over a full attendance of members. ( In bis report the chairman referred to the opening of the new hospital, which was now being occupied by some 83 patients—a record number lor the I Taranaki hospital district. Br F A. Walker continued to (ill the responsible post of medical superintendent, and Dr. E. F. Fookes is filling the place of Major D. S. Wylie, who is at the front. Dr. Leatham had done splendid work as radiographer, and he was assisted bv Mr. F. W. Hall. Miss Browne, who has been in charge of the hospital for the past 1!) years, retains control, and has under her one sub-matron (Sister Campbell, 10 years' service), three sisters, six Charge nurses and 23 probationers. There had been a remarkable increase i'' the number of those taking up the nursing profession and offering themselves for training as probationers. The total number of patients under treatment for the year was 833 (471 males and 362 females). Last year there were 708 patients, and the year before 584, showing that the admissions were steadily increasing. The daily average cost per patient was 6s 4 ! /„d in 1916, (is SVJd in 1915, and 6s 9>/ 2 d in 1914. OLD PEOPLE'S HOME. At the beginning of the year there were 33 inmates of the Old People's Home. During the year 34 were admitted, 11 died, and 23 left the institution, 33 remaining on March 31, 1916. The daily average cost per inmate per day was 2s Bd, as against 2s 4'/ 3 d last year, and patients' payments per day ls'sjd, as against Is 3%d last year. The total expenditure of the Home was £1645 12s Id, compared with £1517 5s last year. The sum of £792 12s 9d was received from inmates, being old-age pensions, friends, and refunds from Stratford and Hawera boards, as against £B4B 19s for the previous year. CHARITABLE AID. - The charitable aid e\<penditnre has been phenomenally low. There are now only three recipients of aid in our district.' There is not a single recipient in the largest centre (New Plymouth), and only two at Inglewood and one at Opunake, the sum paid weekly amounting to £2 6s 6d. This shows' the widespread prosperity of the district. We have under the care of the Board five children, an increase of one on last year INFECTIOUS DISEASES. During the year 176 cases of infectious disease have been reported, against lOC last year. There were 12 cases of enteric fever, against 9 last year, 120 (19) diphtheria, 12 (21) scarlet fever, 7 (38) ohicken-pox, 7 (.">) tuberculosis, 17 (1) infantile paralysis. Of the' 120 case 3 of diphtheria, 54 were in Waitara, S3 New Plymouth, 23 Clifton county, 7 Taranaki county, and 1 in Egmont county. The seventeen cases of infantile paralysis comprised one at Inglewood, six at New Plymouth, one in Clifton county, three in Taranaki county and six in Egmont county. FINANCIAL POSITION. The year commenced with a credit balance of £2206 Os 7d, the recepits amounted to £11,916 Is 2d and the total expenditure to £10,165 12s 6d, leaving a credit balance at the end of the year of £3956 9s 3d. In regard to the receipts it is interesting to note that payments from patients amounted to £2908 12s Sd, as against £2874 2s 5d for the preceding year. The average amount received from cadi patient was £3 lis 3d, as against £4 Is 3d last year. Although this compares more than favorably with the average received per patient at any other hospital in the Dominion, it must not, on the other hand, be overlooked that it costs the Board no less than 3s C 1 per day per patient over and above the amounts received from the patients. Donations for the year amounted to £370 4s, the greater proportion of this being contributions made by settlers towards the salaries of the district nurses. The total expenditure was made up as follows:—Hospital, £6051 10s Od; Old People's Home, £1045 12s Id; charitable aid. £5Ol 17s 4d; new hospital. £3O 19s Cd; public health, £286 8s 8d; Uruti nurse, £142 14s lOd; Egmont county district nurse, £ll7 15s Id; Opunake native nurse, £0 14s Id; Mokau nurse, £3B 4s 2d; farm, £677 10s 3d: total, £10,165 12s Od. NEW NURSES' HOME. The chairman went on to refer to the raising of the levy on contributing bodies from one shilling to Is 3d in the £IOO. "I have done this after most caieful consideration of the whole position," he said. "In the estimates I have made provision for £2600 to be spent in the erection of a new nurses' home, and I have done this to definitely and clearly raise the issue on this urgent and important question. The receipts last year were £1750 8s 8d in excess oi the expenditure. This is due to our renewing for five years the mortgage of £2OOO <>i! the land used for the hospital farm, for which wc made provision year. An equivalent amount, I now propose, shall be devoted to the new nurses' home. We must face this matter, as the increased residential staff, in my opinion, renders it imperative that immediate action be taken to provide adequate and comfortable quarters." The chairman added that the medical superintendent was most emphatic in condemning any proposal for using the old hospital building as a nurses' home. The proposal that the old hospital be utilised as a home for incurables was not approved by the medical sirT, as they considered that cases of an incurable nature, if at all, be dealt with in. a separate building at the Old People's Home. ' THE ESTIMATES. A statement of the approximate estimated receipts and expenditure for the coming vear placed the receipts a( £8879 5s 7d, with £4047 10s from a Is 3d rate; and £4473 4s 3d subvdy, at 19s 3d in the £, a total of £IB,OOO. The estimated expenditure was set out as follows:—New nurses' home. £2600; painting Old People's Home, £200; Hospital, £10,000; Old People's Home. £1700; charitable aid. £500; farm. £600; public health, £400; accounts tc pay, £2000; total, £IB,OOO. Without discussion the report was received. The present House Committee was re.«lwt«ii ""' "' . '"■""■ " ~