30

f1.—22

20. MASTERTON HOSPITAL. Governing body : Masterton Hospital Trustees. Usual date of meeting : Third Wednesday in each month. Secretary : J. C Boddington. Honorary medical staff : Percival Robert Cook, M.8., Ch.B. ; James Alexander Cowie, M.8., CM., B.Sc. Stipendiary medical staff : Archer Hosking, M.8., Ch.M. Edin (non-resident) ; Norman Henry Prior, M.8., Ch.B. (non-resident). Nursing staff : Matron, Miss Alice M. Roberts, and 3 registered nurses and 7 probationers. Domestic staff : 1 cook, 3 housemaids, 1 wardsman, 1 laundress. Number of beds available for males, 14; for females, 12 ; children's cots, 2 ; isolation and infectious, 16 : total, 44. Average number of patients per diem, 23. Average number of patients to each of nursing staff, 2-09. In-patients : Number of patients on 31st March, 1908, 21 ; admitted during year, 314 ; discharged during year, 286 ; died during year, 23 ; in hospital on 31st March, 1909, 26. Sex—Male, 219 ; female,] 116 : total, 335. Collective days' stay, 8,635 ; individual average days' stay, 25 ; average daily cost per head, Bs. ; average daily payment per head, Is. sd. ; average daily cost per head after deducting in-patients' payments, 6s. 7d. ; weekly fee charged for maintenance, £18s. to £3 3s. Percentage of cost of administration on maintenance-expenditure, 6-34. Localities, broadly, from which patients came : Masterton Borough, 155 ; Masterton County, 98 ; Mauriceville County, 15 ; South Wairarapa County, 19 ; Eketahuna County, 20 ; Akitio County, 9 ; Wellington, 9 ; Auckland, 3 ; Reefton, 1 ; Woodville, .1 ; Invercargill, 1 ; Palmerston North, 1 ; Taihape, 1 ; Feilding, 1 ; Pahiatua, 1. Nationalities of patients : New Zealand, 174 ; Australian, 24 ; English, 76 ; Irish, 26 ; Scotch' 22 ; American, 3 ; Danish, 2 ; Welsh, 1 ; Norwegian, 1 ; Swedish, 1 ; Polish, 1 ; French, 1 ; German, 1 ; Maltese, 1 ; Shetlander, 1. Visited on 6th July, 1908, by Miss Maclean, on 11th August by myself, and again on 13th November by Miss Maclean. I found that the workmanship of the new building had not been very good. The plaster has cracked and fallen in several places, the arkalite floor has cracked in the operating-room, and there are other defects ; the steel-lined ceiling in the ward kitchens has rusted, and the woodwork generally was poorly finished. I also found that the Trustees had decided to allow all the medical men in the town to attend their own patients at the Hospital. I represented to them that this was likely to cause friction, especially with regard to the admission and discharge of patients. In this and other matters, such as the more economical supply of drugs and surgical dressings, the Trustees agreed to act upon my recommendations. The new Hospital has been well filled with acute cases, and it is probable that more accommodation will be needed for male patients before long. Mrs. Morrison, the Matron for about three years, resigned her position, and Miss Roberts was appointed Matron.

21. REEFTON HOSPITAL. Governing body : Reefton Hospital Trustees. Usual date of meeting : Fourth Thursday in each month. Secretary : Charles Neom. Stipendiary medical staff : W. A. Conlon, 8.A., M.8., Ch.M. Nursing staff : Matron, Miss Johanna Barry, and 3 probationers. Domestic staff : 1 cook, 1 housemaid, 1 wardsman, 1 laundress. Number of beds available for males, 25; for females, 6; children's cots, 1 ; isolation and infectious, 1 : total, 33. Average number of patients per diem, 22. Average number of patients to each of nursing staff, 5-5. In-patients : Number of patients on 31st March, 1908, 18 ; admitted during year, 76; discharged during year, 58 ; died during year, 14; in hospital on 31st March, 1909, 22. Sex—Male, 74 ; female, 20: total, 94. Collective'days'stay, 8,175. Individual average days'stay, 87 ; average daily cost per head, 3s. 9£d ; average daily payment per head, 2|d. ; average daily cost per head after deducting in-patients' payments, 3s. 7d. ; weekly fee charged for maintenance, £1 10s. Percentage of cost of administration on maintenance-expenditure, 5. Localities, broadly, from which patients came : Grey, 1 ; Buffer, 1 ; Westland, 1 ; Inangahua, 91. Nationalities of patients : New Zealand, 26 ; Australia, 7 ; Ireland, 23 ; England, 21 ; Scotland, 9 ; Switzerland, 3 ; America, 1 ; China, 2 ; Bavaria, 1 ; Wales, 1. Number of out-patients treated during year, 78 ; number of attendances of such out-patients, 161. Visited on Ist October, 1908. ' Considerable extensions and alterations have been made at this Hospital, a new kitchen and quarters for the staff being in course of construction in brick. This should meet the needs of this district for years to come, as rooms now used by nurses can be added to the ward-accommodation.