TARANAKI HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 October 1920, Page 3

TARANAKI HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of ■the Taranald Hospital ami Charitable Aid Board was hold at New Plymouth on Wednesday when there were present: Messrs. /.. V raser (chairman), <J. Andrews, F. .1 Hill, E. R. A. Gilmour, C. Andrew?, A. H. Haleombe, S. Campbell, J. Young, 0. Capper and (.'. Young. MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT'S BICPORT.

Dr V.. A. Walker, medical superintendent, r. ported that during the month of September 100 patients had been admitted, 00 discharged, and seven nad died. There now remained in the hospital 02. The highest number of patients ior one day was 100, the daily average !Ki.B3, and the number of operations 59. With a big increase in the daily average, September Was a much busier month than the three preceding, especially on the surgical side. The isolation block was continuously open with cases of diphtheria, scarlet fever and measles. Continued sickness among the staffseven nurses being off duty during the month—had made the work heavy for those remaining on duty, but all calls were well met. He board to reconsider its decision to have colored concrete in the Nurses' Home in place of tiles. From the hygienic point of view, as well as from the lessened labor required, tiles were infinitely superior. Colored concrete had been tried in V.ospitals, and it was-a failure, wearing iv.rlly and requiring continual clearing. It seemed a pitv not to have -the interior equipment in* keeping with the fine exterior, and on modern lines.—No action taken.

MATROX'S REPORT. Miss B. A. Campbell, matron, reported that Nurse Dew had gone on holiday lijave, and Nurses Rolston, Harrison, Lenison, Mitchell, McMauus, Sal war, arrDew on sick leave, whilst Nurses M'Mamis. Ennis. Chapman and Dew had returned after holiday leave. Nurses Taylor, Rolston and Salway had return ed after sick leave.. Nurse Hall had severed her conneetion with the liospUal, and Miss Kilbride had commenced her three months' term of probation. Nurse Harrison had been granted six weeks' leave of absence, there had heen no improvement in the domestic question, and much extra work had to be done by the nursing staff. Improvement was required in the vegetable supply. The main kitchen badly wanted painting and tiling.

DISPENSER'S REPORT. • Mr. H. O'Reilly, acting dispenser, notified that Warder Shepherd had been on sick leave. Messenger Parker had left. and had been replaced by Messenger Taylor. Another man was required in the' grounds. No eggs had arrived from the farm this month, and the supply of poultry had run out, and the hospital was now supplied from outside. The alterations to the operating theatre were proceeding. RAXGIATEA HOME. Mrs. Bayly, matron at the Ranaiatea Home, reported that during the past month everything had been progressing verv favorably. Supplies had been good and discipline excellent, with the exception of on- 1 ease, which was dealt with by the chairman. The electric light was being installed, and would be complete in a few days' time. Mr. Betts had sent in a verv good supply of books and magazines. There had been two deaths. and there were now remaining in the Home 31 males and 0 females.

DISTRICT NURSES' REPORTS. District Nurse MeKadgcn reported tliat she had attended and advised nine European and two Maori and had nursed throughout 10 European patients. She had attended one maternity ease and one accident, whilst £7 Ts had been received in fees. District Nurse MeEadge.n reported that there had been a good deal of mild influenza, especially in the Mount Messenger district. One ease of pneumonia and a maternity case had been attended to. Nine other cases had been attended to. INSPECTOR'S REPORT. Mr. A. H. Kendall (Inspector) reported that during the past month IS cases of infectious disease were notified in the district, comprising one- case of scarlet fever, five of diphtheria, three of tuberculosis, one of enteric fever, two of chicken-pox, three of pneumonia, and three of puerperal fever. One case of phthisis and two cases of puerperal fever terminated fatally. There was one case of scarlet fever, three of diphtheria, and two of pneumonia, in the Taranaki County, two eases of diphtheria, two of phthisis, one. of enteric fever, one of pneumonia, and three of puerperal fever in New Plymouth; one ease of tuberculosis and two of chicken-pox at Waitara.

THE FARM. Mr. .1. Andrews, chairman of the farm committee, reported having made his monthly visit to the farm on October 9th, when he found the manager short-hand-ed, one of the milkers having left. Owing to the backwardness of the. season, the paddocks were rather bare, and the manager had to purchase food to keep up the milk supply, which would materially increase the cost of production. The problem that would have to be considered in the immediate future was whe- , ther some means should be devised to in- [ crease tjje area of the farm, or whether (hey should suspend farming operations altogether, a3 with the present limited aiea, they could not carry on with the means at their disposal, and as a new Board would be elected soon, it would be for them to deal with the matter. The farm manager (Mr. W. C. Noble) reported that for the month ending September ,10th the eighteen cows had returned 14.1 id pounds of milk, and 170 dozen eggs I.ad been sent out, also 04 cable fowls and 32 ducks, lieing short of hands and horses, everything was very backward rjs far as the work was con."nicd. NEW NURSES' HOME.

The architects (Messrs. Messenger, f.'riffiths ami Taylor) reported that' an average 1 of 21 workmen had been employed on the works since their last report, and at present 22 men were occupied on the buildin;:. Steady and satisfactory progress had been made. In the course of discussion it was stated that the Home would be completed in February.

PROPOSED HOLIDAYS FOR NTRSES. Dr. E. A. Walker, medical superindent, commenting on the suggestion from the Public Health Department that the employment of nurses in public hospitals I should be modified so as to allow of a clear day off each week, and also a miniIjmun Annual holiday of 21 days, said

I that the annua! loave of 21 days was al j ready granted by the board. As regarded j granting one day off in each week, there j were serious difficulties in the way. In j the first place it was a serious loss to j the nurse, meaning 150 days' loss of j training in the time years. The three j years' term was already all too short, j and to lessen it still further was, in his I opinion, a grave error. In the second : place the staff would require to be in- \ creased by one-sixth, a very serious matter both as regards expenditure and the provision of extra accommodation in : the Nurses' Home. To the Board this change would mean that additional bed- ; rooms would at on"e be required in the new Nurses' lloir\<\ •■ did not tliink that' eight hours' duty e\ cry day in the week '. was a heavy strain on a healthy young t woman. They had not found it so in i the past If the change was finally de- i oided on by the Department, they would J have the domestic staff making ;i de- ; mand for similar treatment, with the \ necessity for increase in this stafF detail j also. The Board was fully conversant j with the difficulty of this position at'; present, and an aggravation of the con- I I dition was most undesirable. The mini- j ber by which the staff would have to be j increased to allow of the proposed j ! change is seven. This would mean the! | provision of seven bedrooms more than ! the present staff requires, utilising all ; the reserve accommodation provided in \ the new Nurses' Home, and requiring two extra rooms in addition. The third question was difficult to answer. At present ; the Board had no spare c-fommodation | for nurses, and until the new Nurses'' [Home was opened he feared the change ■ ! could not lake pl.ir ■ The chairman ■■;' that ho had had a conversation with Dr. Valinthie, who agreed that in the case of New Plymouth there was no need for such 'a change to take place.

I OPUNAKE HOSPITAL. The Inspector-General of Hospitals : forwarded the Minister's consent, to tlio •imposed additions and alterations in tl;e plans of the Opunako maternity home and ; cottage hospital. The chairman stated that tenders I would he called immediately plans and j specifications were available.'

'■' SERVICE PATIENTS." The-Hon. R, Ilea ton Rhodes, Minister of Defence, notified that with'reference to the representations made by a deputation from the Board in connection with the treatment; of "service" patients from outside the hoard's district, the matter had been submitted to Cabinet, which had approved of the payment of £320 17s to the Board on account of such treatment.