TARANAKI HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1917, Page 6

TARANAKI HOSPITAL BOARD.

• MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was hold yesterday. Present: Mr, J. R. Hill (acting-chairman). Mrs. E. Doekrill, Messrs E. Gilmour. M. J. Melteynolds, 1). McAllimi, J. lironvn, €. V. Tate, and IX 11. MaclJonaM. Leave of absence was granted to Mr. E. Maxwell. MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT'S Dr. 'Walker reported ihat during the past month 59 patients had been admitted, 71 discharged and two had died, the number remaining being 70. The highest number had .been 85 and the •lailv average 70.2. Though the daily average was lower and the number of admissions small the month had been a heavy tone on account of itli* large proportion of serious cases and from the £ac,t that five nurses had been o(T duty, four on account of sickness. Eleven soldiers had 'been treated as in-patients and 10 as out patients. The Isolation bloc.]; and Tariki had been continuously open. This matter he had fuilv discussed in a separate letter. Apropos of by-laws revision he suggested that the more urgent were general ward rules and that an ase limit be fixed regarding the visits of children. A complaint had been lodged regarding disturbances in the wards by crying baiies on visiting days and the noisiness of children. The roport was adopted. THE ISOLATION BLOCK.

Dr. Walker's separate report on tie isolation block was as follows: "It is nine years two months since the attention of the board was drawn to the insufficiency of accommodation for the treatment of infectious diseases, anil the subject lias ibeen brought uip from time to time since. In February and April of the present year I stressed the matter and fiointed out that the difficulty had become acute and that a nurse had contracted infectious disease while on duty, the conditions under which the work is carried on being in part responsible for tlie occurrence. I regret that two other -nurses are at present laid up in the infectious diseases block, the illness attacking them while nursing infectious disease. This matter lias become one of extreme urgency and so far no move lias been made. I have therefore to recommend as a temporary measure pending the erection of a properly equipped hospital for the treatment of this class of disease that tlie eastern portion of the old hospital be put in a state of thorough repair, repainted after an extensive clean'm?. and used lor the treatment of diphtheria, and that the present isolation blockbe reserved for scarlet fever, while the building known as Tariki be finally closed so far as treatment of disease is concerned. Tlie main details required for the old building are: (1) The erection of an isolating partition in tb? main corridor immediately to tlie left of the main entrance: !-) the erection of a small annexe in the eastern angle outside the back ward (the bath and sink for this purpose lie obtained from the western part of the building; (3) the provision of a gas stove for cooking, beating of meals provided from the main building, etc. This step would provide two main .wards with accommodation for over 20 patients, a small isolation ward for special cases, and in addition suitable sleeping accommodation and' a dining room for the nurses, with separate bathroom. It could be administered Irom the main building and tlie only extra staffing would -be one woman for eler.ning work. Other details are a matter of simple arrangement and I trust the board will authorise that the work be pjoceeded with immediately." Mr. Mcßeynolds said the doctor's recommendations could best be discussed on the premises, and moved that consideration be deferred till the board's visit to the hospital in the afternoon. Mr. 'Drown seconded the motion, but said he took decided objection to the tone of the doctor's report in so far a« it implied that the'board was responsible for nothing being done. The matter had been discussed time and again and steps bad been taken in connection with the old hospital building, but had always found themselves blocked by the powers that be. It was i«ft fair to cast the whole responsibility on the board. Mr. Mcßeynokls said it seemed to him that before dealing with the doctor's j report the board should decide on the [ question of erecting a new nurses' home. The chairman said the erection of a nums' home had been held up through Mr. McAllum's motion, that it 'be deferred till after the war, 'being postponed. Mr. McAUum said he had always been "prepared a) move the resolution of which he bad given notice, but it' bad been postponed for various reasons from meeting to meeting. Tlie chairman said the question before tiic board at present, however, was not the new nurses' home, but the doctor's rcommendations for temporary arrangements. Mr. Mcßeynolds motion was then put and carried. a later stage it was agreed, on the motion of Mr. Brown, to refer the report to the bouse committee v.-.tb power to act.

MATRON'S REPORT. Tim actin? matron. Sister A. P>. Campbell, reported that Nurse Anderson had passed tlio final Hospital and State examination. Nurses Ilamblyn, Mills, •Hirst. (imitbatch, Corkill, and Lansley had parsed the examination in physiology and anatomy.—Adopted. OLD PEOPLE S HOME. The matron of the Old People's Home, Mrs. Bavley, reported that discipline had been good and the supplies very satisfactory. There had been four admissions and two departures, leaving 43 inmates.—Adopted. HEALTH INSPECTOR'S REPORT.

The inspector, Mr. A. H. Kendal'- reported that during the past month 18 cases of infectious disease had been notified in this district, as follows: Three cases of scarlet fever in the borough of New Plymouth, resulting in one death; six ea»es of diphtheria in New Plymouth and tn\o in Egmont County, one being at Oeo ; also five cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, three of which were in the Taranaki County, being at Hillsborough, Kent roiul and Upland road, one in the Egmont country at Awatuna. afld one in the Clifton county near Purangi He had visited all residences of ] patients and taken the necessary mea[Bures, besides reporting all cases to tl.e j district health officer. Food ven•dors had had his attention during the I month and samples of milk taken and forwarded to the (iovernment analyst at , Wellington, with the result that a pro9,»cution was now pending.—Adopted. SOLDIERS* ROOM. Tbfr.Red Cro#» Society drew attention

in the room for wounded and convalescent soldiers at the hospital was the' property of the British Red Cross So-' cietv and had been insured for £23. ' The secretary read a oopy of a letter cent to the Society on May 22, intimating that the House Committee of the Board approved of the Society's suggestion that the matron exchange her room for their's,. and that the use of the matron's office be allowed to the soldiers, and further that the furnishing t>f the latter room lie such as approved by the House Committee.

Mr. 'Brown said the Board could not recognise that anything at the hospital was private property. 11 ( . moved that the Red Cross Society be asked on what Authority they had furnished the room. The motion was carried. NURSES' HOME. Mr. MeAllum moved the motion of which he had given notice at a previous meeting, namely, that the building of a nurses' home he postponed till after the war. It was unnecessary for him to repeat his former arguments, but he might state that some of the nurses had told Mr. Leppcr that they were quite Hilling that the erection "of the home should lie held over till after the war. The motion was seconded by Mr. Gilmour and carried. The chairman said the Board must not lose sight of the fact that sooner or later the home would have to he built. Mr. MeAllum said his motion only postponed it. The plans had been prepared by the architects, and they wera agreeable to the postponement. Mr. flibnour said the architects had specified a limit of two years. Mr. MeAllum: Well, if the war is not over in two years, then probably it won't be worth while building it at GENSRAL.

A report from the special committee appointed to destine the duties of the farm manager was adopted., and Messrs slill and Tate 'were appointed a subcommittee of the 'board to supervise tlie management. Mr. Mcßeynolds draw attention to the unfortunate position of the Opunake district 'being without a resident doctor, and it was decided to ask the Inspector General to make some arrangement with doctors in adjoining localities to attend to the requirements of Opunake. A report was received from the New Plymouth borough engineer on the drainage at the Old People's Home, and pointed out that the defects might he remedied by a serviceable system of land irrigation with field pipe carriers round the spurs at the foot of the hills. He also stated that the condition of the piggeries was not quite satisfactory Referred to Board's inspector to report. The assistant inspector of the Public Health department wrote that at the ufgept request of the t'ruti District Nursing Committee he had sent Nurse Mara;'.ret Quinn, registered nurse and midwife, to the district. He asked the Board to pay her the usual salary £nd Appoint her permanently as district nurse should she be willing to accept the position and the committee were agreeable.—Held over for consideration. The chairman was requested to inquire into the matter of housing the new motor ambulance and to report at next meeting of the Board. An offer to lease two paddocks near the farm, one for swedes and one for growing ensilage, was referred to the Varm Management Committee to dell with.

The question of revising the staff salaries was deferred for consideration at a special meeting to be held on a date to be fixed .by the chairman.

Leave of absence to join the expeditionary force was granted to the secretary, Mr. A. Graham, and it was decided to invite applications for the position temporarily. Mr.. Gilraour gave notice that at next meeting he would move that the nurses' nimual holiday in future be three weeks instead of a fortnight as hitherto. Mr. Meßevnolds gave notice to move at next meeting: "That the names of the 25 ex-patients whose accounts, being over £5, are longest overdue, be placed in the hands of the Board's solicitor for collection."