S.C. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2346, 21 April 1892, Page 4

S.C. HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the above boar I | was field on Tuesday. Present Messrs i W. M, Moore (in the chair), J. Talbot, | F.' R. Gillingham, J. G. Graham, D. ; McLaren, A. Sherratt, and J. M. Barker. i Mr Jowsey, house steward, presented the j following report on the year’s work: | "Since the 20th July, the day on which the medical staff commenced their duties, they have paid 1058 visits, or over im,: average of four visits per day. Instruments and appliances have been borrowed by all the medical men practising in Timaru. I here venture to remark that many of these instruments and appliances ought not to be removed from the hospital at all, for they have been wanted during their absence, and those gentlemen requiring to use them can procure them just as easily as the hospital, many, of them being of no great value. They are not always returned. With one exception there have been no complaint) during the year. Two hundred and eleven out-patients have been treated, for whom 7(JI prescriptions were dispensed. out-patient paid for one bottle of mediciu ; Is Twenty-three accidents have been admitted during the year. Fifteen deaf is occurred. Fifty-one out-patients paid for all or part of their maintenance ; 191 paid nothing. On the 19th July, 1891, it was resolved by the board to abolish the office of resident surgeon, and give medical charge to the four medical men practisin..; in Timaru tor a trial of three months, commencing on the 20th. The trial provingsatisfactory, the appointment of Drs Lovegrove, Hogg, and Reid was confirmed in October. Dr Thomas, not agreeing, retired. A salary of £25 per annum each was voted by the board. The three medical men nowconstituting the staff decline to take any remuneration for the three months and eleven days’ trial of the system. Payment ia, therefore, claimed only from the Ist November, as shown on the pay-sheet Dr Thomas having made no claim for the three months and eleven days referred tc, I take it for granted he also gave his services gratuitously during that period. The board is asked to pass £37 10s, being six months’ salary due 30th inst. to the medical staff. In preparing the estimate of expenditure I omitted to include the cost of a new water motor and washing machine, which wiff be about £ls. Provision should be made for a renewal of these things.”—It was resolved: “That the practice of lending surgical instruments belonging to fie hospital be discontinued.” Mr Jowsey also submitted an analysis of the receipts and working expenses of the hospital for the year 1891-92 as follows : Receipts: Contributed by local authorities, £lOlB 13s 04d; by the Government, £101:-: 13s o>d • subscriptions and donations, nil; bmuests’, £35; rents, £l4 12s (id; payment from patients, £134 4s 6d; from other sources, *1 sa; total, £2222 Bs. Expenditure: Provisions, £4 18s7d; groceries, £-,q tag id; earthenware, £3 l(ss sd; wine, spirits, and beer, £3l 7s ; fuel, £ll7 5s 7d ; light, £52 7s7d; drugs, £lll Is 9d; instruments and appliances, £3O 12s 8d; linen, drapery, and bedding, £72 6s sd: furniture, £3 14s; funerals, £7 ?4s; advertising, stationery, postage,and telephone, £35 10s 8d; repairs and chimney-sweeping. £312 4s 3d; water rate, £2l 17s 4cl; insurance, £l(s 13s sd; permanent improvements, £52 19s 5d ; law expenses, £2B 6a 4d; half members’ travelling expenses. £5 10s ; sundries £521258d; staff salaries, £O3l Os 3d ■ total, £203(5 17s Bd. Percentage of cost of administration on total expenditure, 33.13. , ~ Other returns for the year gave_ tae following information: —Number of patients treated during the year 245 - males 134, females 111; discharged, 201; deaths, 10; remaining, 28. Fifteen patients came from outside the contributing districts, the remainder from within. The total collective d lys’stayin hospital, 7609; average stay per patient, 31 days; daily average cost per patient, deducting cost of new buildings. 5s 2 1-o‘d; deducting also 2s for each outpatient, 5s 1;?J; deducting also law expenses and convalescents refund, ss, average on total expenditure, _ 5s 4 l-fed. Residence of patients in contributing districts : Timaru Borough, 96 ; Levels Road District, 71; Geraldine and Mount Peel, 17; Mackenzie County, 16; Waimate Borough and County, 2; casuals, 15 ; total. 217. The committee appointed to prepare them submitted estimates of receipts and expenditure for the current year. The estimate of expenditure for the Timaru hospital was £1999, with an estimate of probable receipts of £341 9s 7d to set against that. The total cost last year was £2036 J7s sd. In the general estimate the Timaru hospital was set down for £2OOO, Waimate hospital 985; charitable aid lor the whole district and office expenses ,c lareeafilc to this branch, £2947 ss; estimated miscellaneous receipts, £712 5s ; leaving £2610 to be provided by local bodies and an equal sum by Government subsidy. Last year the local bodies found £2403 lUs aid the Colonial Treasury a few pound* more. , Tuere was no discussion on the estimates generally, but a long discussion over the cdimate forwarded by the Waimate Hospital Trustees, as £249 was asked for more chan last year, and no details were given It was stated that the Act had not been complied with either this year or last in the provision requiring £IOO to be contributed to the funds of the Waimate hospital by voluntary subscriptions. The increase in the demand was understood to he because the trustees have an overdralt of £IBO, and they desire to clear this off Eventually Mr Talbot moved, and MiBarker seconded "That the Waimate Hospital Trustees be informed that unless the board be furnished within ten days with full details of the estimated receipts at; d expenditure for the ensuing year, and that a full statement of receipts and ex•nenliture for tiie past year be also furnished t>o as to enable the board to judge ■whether the requirements of the Act have been compiled with, the matter will bo referred to the Colonial Secretary for enquiry. Pending such information being procured, the adoption of the estimates be deferred for fourteen days, and that this meeting stand adjourned, until Saturday, April 30th.”— Carried. A Christchurch lady, Mrs Ross, offered to pay the whole cost of sending a South Canterbury man named Phillips to Rotorua, but the expense must be nominally guaranteed by a charitable aid board, ft was agreed to give the use of this board’s Moore and Barker were authorised to look to a Geraldine case—a laborer left a widower with ten children, from J 4 years down to 15 days, and without means to pay anyone to look after the infant. The Rev. J. Preston wrote drawing attention to tue Constable Willoughby, Geraldine, reported cases of diphtheria among charitable aid recipients there, and asked for a certain medical instrument and medical comforts. —To be supplied. |

JUr Gillingham asked that the train fare of a recipient of rations at hairlie Creek be paid, to permit him to visit a doctor.— Agreed to. Hospital account! £l5O os, and charitable aid accounts £123 J7s were passed for payment.