WAIPIATA PATIENTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 249, 4 August 1930, Page 3

WAIPIATA PATIENTS.

DECISIONS OF THE COMMITTEE. The Waipiata Sanatorium Committee met in Dunedin this week, the chairman (Mr J. Matheson) presiding. Mr W. Bryant represented the Ashburton Hospital Board. The South Canterbury Hospital Board wrote advising that it was accepting liability for a patient who had been admitted from the Ashburton district. The letter was received, and maintenance charges are to be adjusted accordingly. The Medical Superintendent (Dr. A. Kidd) reported that on June 30, there were 114 patients in the Institution, and with the exception of 11 whose condition was stationary, all were doing well or improving. He reported the result of his visits to the different centres and recommended for treatment in the Institution one patient from South Canterbury, three from Southland and one from the Wallace districts.

The Secretary (Mr T. Pryde) reported that at date of meeting the following Boards had patients in the Sanatorium-.—South Canterbury '35, Southland 28, Ashburton 10, Waitaku 13, South Otago 9, Wallace 6, Vincent 1, Waipiata Sanatorium Committee 1, total 108.

Of that number two had beeo in the Institution for more than two years, 18 for more than one year and 62 lor less than one year, since the previous meeting 16 patients had been discharged, 10 with the disease arrested, three disease quiescent and two improved. The secretary also submitted a waiting list of 26 patients, and as arrange uients had been made for nine ol these to enter the Institution almost immediately, the list would be reduced to 17, the lowest for some considerable time.

The treasurer submitted a statement of receipts and payments since the previous meeting and credit balances for ■apital and maintenance as to date. In connection the Director-General of Health, in view of financial stringency asked tho Committee to favourably consider proposals to defer certain authorised capital expenditure for the present so as to make the. burden on the Associated Boards and the Department easier. The secretary was directed to advise the' Department that if all the Hospital Boards in the Dominion can be persuaded to defer the bulk of their authorised capital expenditure this current year, the Committee was quite prepared to hold over the erection of the Administrative and X-ray block and the purchase of X-ray plant. It, however, was of opinion that it was imperative that the two cottages for members of the Sanatorium staff should be erected at once. It was decided to hold the next meeting in Dunedin on Tuesday, August 26.