HOSPITAL BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 25 March 1926, Page 8

HOSPITAL BOARD.

1 VISIT TO WAIMATE. | The annual visit of the South Canterbury Hospital Board to the Waimate Hospital was paid yesterday, and opportunity was taken to hold the monthly meeting in that town. There were present at the meeting Rev. T. W. Potts (chairman), Mesdam'es F. A. Raymond, M. E. Tilbrook, W. H. Unwin, and Messrs G. Dash, E. Macdonald, W. F. Geddes, T. Brown, E. Hardcastle, W. G. Paul (Waimn’o, secretary), H. G. Naylor (secreia.y), and Dr. Parr (medical superintendent). On behalf of the Wainiatc members Mr Dash extended a vciy hearty welcome to the Board, stating that the work that the South Canterbury Hospital Board was doing for the district -fras heartily appreciated by the residents of Waimate. The chairman expressed pleasure at the visit to Waimate, and said he felt sure that they would find the affairs of the Waimate Hospital to be quite in order. He thanked Mr Dash for his kind and very hospitable welcome. CORRESPONDENCE. The Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board wrote forwarding cheque for £ll, being donation from Russell Trust Fund. —Received. The Waipiata Sanatorium Committee advised that full instructions were issued to patients on discharge. Dr. Parr stated that if he were advised of the discharge of South Canterbury patients from Waipiata, he could easily institute a follow-up system which would enable all patients to be followed up and occasi- . onally examined as to their condition.

The chairman said that he would see that the necessary information was supplied in order that the Board could follow up all cases discharged from the sanatorium. The Nurses’ and Midwives’ Registration Board wrote approving of Timaru and Waimate Hospitals as training schools for nurses, also forwarding copies 'of the Act and regulations. The Timaru Hospital was also approved as a training school for maternity nurses.—Received. The visit of Dr. M. T. McEachern to Timaru was referred to by the secretary, who stated that Dr. McEachern was met at Timaru by Drs. Parr, Unwin, and himself. Owing to some misunderstanding in the drawing up of his itinerary, two hours were only available at Timaru. The time allocated, however, was very profitably spent at the Timaru Hospital, every assistance being extended to the visitor. MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. The Medical Superintendent (Dr T. L. Parr) reported that some improvements undertaken during the year were still incomplete. There -was still no bathroom for the male employees, and three electric radiators were needed for the administration offices and out-patient department. A good deal of venereal disease had recently appeared in Timaru and the hospital was not equipped to deal properly with a certain class of cases. He worked out a plan which he thought would be the most economical and adequate for tlieir needs, and in view of the urgency of the matter, had asked Harding and Co. to give an estimate for the work, in the hope that it might be gone on with inynediately. He suggested that allowance he made in the estimates for the following: Improvements in the operating theatre, being mainly provision of a sink for washing theatre linen, and of a darkened room for nose and eye operations; X-ray screening tube with cover- and a treatment tube; enlarging the stock of surgical instruments by a value of about £65; purchase of wall charts for teaching nurses, about £5; replacing present out-patient steriliser by an electric one, about-. £10; provision of light and power points in the room between wards 1 and 2, so that this room could be used for massage. The pressure of routine work was making it very difficult for him to give adequate attention to everything, and he suggested that the Board provide for necessary X-ray treatment by appointing Mr A. C. Mclnnes as X-ray technician. The report was adopted. OLD PEOPLE'S HOME. The Master of the Old People’s Home (Mr F. Mulvthill) reported that during the month six mdn men were admitted and eight men were discharged, leaving in the Home 4b men and four women. The conduct of the inmates had been satisfactory, and their health had been normal. Donations have been received as follows:—Fruit, Mrs J. Hurdley; goods, St. Saviour’s Orphanage; flowers, Mrs Tooth; reading matter, Mr C. Byrne, Mrs J. Dick, Mr McCarthy, Mrs Berryman, Mr Laughton, Miss Thompson, Mr Jones, Salvation Army, “Timaru Post” Co., Mrs Berry, Mr Newman, and Miss Woollcombe. Thanks were recorded to the donors. SOCIAL SERVICE. For the Social Service Committee Mrs Raymond presented the following report:—Four new applications for relief were dealt with, three being granted at a total cost of £7 17s 6d, and one declined. Temporary

relief was renewed in four cases at a cost of £5. Four cases were reviewed. Two were continued for two months; one was increased by .13/4 per month, and one was decreased by £2 10s per month. An application had been received from a case in which relief was recently stopped by the committee, for a continuance of the relief, and in view of the altered circumstances was granted at a cost of £2 per month. The secretary reported that there were a large number of debtors for hospital foes who had ignored all demands sent out for payment. A recommendation has been made to the Finance Committee that the services of a commercial agency be secured for tlie collection of such accounts and such other accounts as the secretary considered advisable. ' The question of giving relief to able bodied persons has exercised the minds of the members of the committee for some time past, and the following recommendati -n was now unanimously referred to the Board;—“That in future physically able persons socking relief rha.il be required to do some work of a public nature to the value of any relief granted, and that local bodies be asked to co-operate with the Board in finding suitable work for such cases.”

The chairman said he thoroughly agreed with the principle of providing employment of some public nature to cover the amount of the relief given. Local bodies would be asked to provide a few days’ work, the relief however being provided out of charitable funds as was at present the ease. The idea was solely to make those who could work do something in return for the assistance given. The various local bodies who contributed to the funds, would be communicated with, and asked to assist in that direction. The report was adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE. The report of the finance Committee was presented by Mr Dash, as follow: Tenders were received for supplies to the Board’s institutions for the twelve months ending 31st March, 1927, and the following were recommended for acceptance;—Coal: Lignite, J. 11. Smillie; other coals, Westport Coal Co. Drugs, L. J. Williamson; meat: Timaru institutions, Caroline Cash Butchery, Fairlie, F. Lake; bread, Bloomfield and Son; fish, J. Dodd; funerals, J. Lister; vegetables, etc., S. T. Lidstone; milk, Timaru institutions, Geo. Reynish, Geraldine, A. Deßenzy. House Committee’s recommendations as under were considered and the committee recommended that they be given effect to:—Erection of bath house, Timaru Hospital, for male employees; provision of facilities for treatment of V.D. cases at a cost of £55; carrying out of theatre improvements as suggested in the medical superintendent’s report, at at estimated cost of £l5O, subject to the committee’s inspection; provision on estimates for surgical X-ray and other hospital equipment at an estimated cost of £170; that Sister Pryor be appointed theatre sister as from Ist April. 1926; that Mr Mclnnes be appointed X-ray technician; that the scale of fees for out-patients : ng'Sested by the secretary, be adopted; that the following salary increases be granted: V. Keay £25 p.a., V. Tomlinson 5/- per week, W. Black £2O p.a., M. Rennie £6 10s p.a., that the work of connecting Talbot Hospital with borough sewage system be proceeded with. The report was adojited.

WAIPIATA COMMITTEE. T- he . chall ' m an reported that Dr. vahntine had verbally consented to several additions, but when he returned to Wellington and received lormal application he took up the attitude that tho committee were spending money needlessly, but finally consented to the expenditure asked for. From now on the expenditure would be confined to wooden extensions and expense would fail less heavily on the contributing bodies. Mr Bruce had reported on the tanning scheme, stating that the tuture running cost of the farm would be very low. In running the laim, not only would big economies be effected in supplying the institution with meat, milk, eggs and vegetables, etc., but an opportunity would be provided to employ patients on light work, and also train them for suitable outside occupations, necessary in their future lives. To him the most impressive thing regarding the work at Waipiata was the fact that there were only four patients last month out of sixty, whose contion had not improved. GENERAL. It was unanimously resolved that the secretary’s salary be increased by £5 0 per annum. The chairman said he was pleased to see that the Methodist Conference had passed a resolution calling on the Government to bring before Magistrates the necessity for greater stringency in dealing with deserting husbands. At the conclusion of the meeting a visit was paid to the Waimate institution, the chairman and members expressing the highest satisfaction at the manner in which the hospital was being conducted.