HOSPITAL BOARD.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13595, 2 December 1909, Page 8

HOSPITAL BOARD.

STATUTORY ANNUAL MEETING. The statutory annual meeting of. the Hospital Board was held yesterday afternoon. Presentr-Messrs J. Ingram (chairman), F. Horrell, J. Wolfe, Cha*. Allison,. T. Gapes, J. Davison, C. Cook, T. D. Boag, J. Storry, W. Dunlop, and C. D. Morris. • The. Chairman reviewed the work of the year. Be said that the Board •would agree with him that they had sustained a very great lose through the death of Mr George Payling, their late chairman, who worked untiringly and unselfishly on behalf of the institution, and his cheerfulness and krndly consideration earned their esteem. Regarding the children's ward, he said that the ladies who organised the collection of the funds had earned the thanks not only of the Board, but of the whole community for the very successful manner in which they carried out this most noble work. The Board levied on the various local bodies for what was considered sufficient for *>he women's surgical ward. Unfortunately great trouble was experienced in getting a sound foundation for the children's and women's surgical wards, to that during th« coming year it would be necessary to ask for further contributions to enable the Board to complete and furnish the building. The extras on the foundation alone would be about £2500. He assured contributors to the children's ward • that their subscriptions would bo devoted entirely to the purpose for which they were subscribed; the Board never contemplated anything else, though a rumour was abroad that the funds were to be diverted. It was high time that the old wooden hospital building was taken down and a new block erected'in ite place for administrative purposes. The building was fifty years old, was in bad condition, was always in need - of repairs, and was very inconvenient. In the face of having made such heavy calls on the local bodies for the completion of the sanatorium and the erection of the women's surgical ward, this most pressing work would have to be postponed Tor the present, unless some of the rich merchants or settlers came to the Board's rescue and provided the necessary funds. Over £30,000 was needed for the building, of which the Board would have to raise £17,000 by gifts or otherwise. Referring to the Consumption Sanatorium, he said that at the time it was taken over the.Board had no funds to complete the work. At the earliest opportunity, March 31st last, the Board made the necessary levy on the local bodies, but as the. money levied was not available till March 31st next the BoaTd was prevented from pushing on the work for want of funds. About £5000 was required! to make the place suitable for the purpose designed, including furnishing. Owing to the destructive storm of about a month ago having destroyed all. the shelters, the opening of' the' institution, had had to be,postponed. Funds for addition to the Nurses.'/ Home would have to be provided for during the ooming year; from, twenty, to thirty additional Tooms were Tequired. He referred to the means being taken to reduce the consumption of coal in the institution, by which it was hoped to effect a saving of 30 per cent.. It had been decided to adopt the atmospheric heating system, for the whole of Ijbe wards. The '■■ cost of maintenance for each patient was mounting up, being now 7s 3d as against 5s 7sd for the' previous year, and ysz.it, as usual, very.much in excess of the cost in the other three large hospitals in the Dominion. He thought that,further measures should be taken in hand at once' to reduce this high cost. The Inspector-General's report deserved careful study by the members of the Board, as in many respects- the management of the institution appeared in an unfavourable light. •;• Mr Allison disapproved of the .extra expenditure on the foundation for the children's and women's surgical wards. li any Architect employed. \ by the Board could go outside tie contract and. , incur additional expenditure, the sooner the Board went home and left 'matters to the architect the better. Hβ entered an emphatic protest against the .unconstitutional, manner in which the expenditure had been incurred' without ' the"; authority of- - the Board. The Board had been treated with extreme discourtesy; He -controverted the chairman's statement -regarding the old hos--mtal buildings, arid said that he had) ..looked over them 'and had as much -profeeeional knowledge of them ac anyone in the city, end with the expenditure of a few hundred pounds they m*" **"* * or an °tber twenty years. To jpull them <iown simply because they ire-' not in- accordance with modern requiremente would be a waste of public money. • Regarding' the extra aocommddatmn Jot . nurses, he said that there must have been want of foresight in not providing sufficient accommodation, 'or . the accommodation was not wanted." . Mr Wolfe said he had been startled when the chairman mentioned the extra'eons in oonneciion with the foundations; It appeared to him that half ithe'money would be spent on the foundations, before anything of the new ! building was seen. Aβ to the rebuilding of the old hospital buildings, he •aid <that they would have to have a . better harrest in the country before the money coal* be found. As to aocomfor nurses, he suggested that . two should be put into one room. _jMf*m Dunlop, Cook, Gapes and ***w>s? , *u> protested against the unauthonsed expenditure on the foundation*. • ..••-" ■ • ■ Mr Morris said that at every meet ing of the Board members &ad visited the work and had been absolutely *F4>r# that increased expenditure was tank -incurred. It was somewhat late ; W^W€f'<e*/.'ti» , raise objections. i t^^ l ? oe ,•*&**** •*'» member of t*e/ChiWr«i'» Ward Committee he prpte«#d against the extra expenditure being made without that committee- 'having been consulted. Aβ to the statement that members -- knew that extra expenditure wit being incurreS!, he said that all .he knew was that there was £500 provided for extras, and had not had the slightest idea that ' the expenditure would be five times" that amount The Chairman's report' was received, and the Chairman then left the chair On the motion of Mr Horrell. seconded by Mr Morris, Mr Ingram wae elected chairman. The folkrarinx committees we're ap. minted (tho chairman of the "Board being «x oSicio • member of each): House Committee: * Messrs Allison. Morris. Gapes, Boas, Cook xa9 Horrell. Buifckmr. Engineer and Garden Committee: "Messrs -*Allt*on, • Morris Gapes, Boa$:, Cook and Horrell. Sana' torium. Akaro*, Bottle Lake and Casualty Ward Committee: Messrs Aliieon. Horsier, Cool, Bong and Dunloi. Finance Committee: Messrs Horrell Borsley, Gapes, Darison, Storry and Morns. It was decided to request the present honorary medical staff to remain in office for the ensuing six months.