HOSPITAL BOARD.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18526, 30 October 1925, Page 6

HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly nnwtinp of North Canterbury Hospital Board was held on Wednesday, when'there were present—Mr H. J. Otley (chairman), Mesdmnfa E. R. McComba, A. E. Hei'bert, aad "W. G. Roberts, the Revs. F. Rule, J. K. Archer, and Clyde Carr, and Mese® F. EorreU, F. Howell, H. H. Holland, G. Armstrong, M. Bethel, D. McMillan, F. G. Norton, H. Paterson, W. P. Spencer, L. B. Evans, S. Andrew, iff. J. Walter, and W. E. Leadley. A letter was received from the HSoepital Boards' Association regarding noaffifcnated immigrants.—lt was decided to supply the information sought The Director-General wrote advising tKnt. he wonld visit Canterbury at an early date, when the matter of providing maternity hospitals at Darfield and Lincoln wocld be gone into. Correspondence on the same subject was received from the Seiwyn and Tawera County Councils. A letter was received from the Hospital Boards' Association with reference to the annual conference.—lt waa resolved to ask the various committees to prepare remits fjr approval by the Board at its next meeting. A- discussion ensued regarding the provision of & nurses' chapel, and the legality of any contribution which the Board might make to the fund for the purpose.—lt was decided to obtain further information from the Government and to refer the matter to the Finance Committee. Committees' Reports. The Hospital Committee reported that the average daily number of patients in hospital during September was 333.18. In the venereal diseases' department there wea» 982 attendance!?, representing 246 patients, 26 of whom were new. Sis Excelfeaicy the Governor-General would visit Christcirurch Hospital at 0.30 a.m. on November 2nd. The Director-General of Health had intimated that £SOO would bo paid to the Board's aocount, in view of thi* fact that special accommodation had beel: providad for mental cases under observation. Attention had been called to the fact that, a.*thoufjh the Board passed plans for the Cheviot Hospital several months ago, no response had yet "been received from the Department of Heoith. Dr. P. C. Fenwick, officer-in-charge of the radium department, reported that the department had bad a very busy month, 48 pew patients having been accepted for treatment, of whom 29 -were suffering from malignant disease; 576 attendances had been made and 156 radium treatments given; 65 patients wera treated with deep X-ray therapy. Dr. G. J Blackmore, medical director of tuberculous reported thai all the male patients were transferred to the Upper Sanatorium on September 7th and 10th respectively, in order to make room for more women patients. At the end of the month there were 37 women and one gir l waiting for admission to the Sanatorium. There were 63 patienta in tfie Coronation Hospital on September 30th, and three women and one man waiting for admission. The patients in the Fresh-air Home wera 32, and at the ond of September two girls were waiting for admission. During the month there were 119 attendances at the tuberculosis dispensary, the number including 37 new cases. Seventeen new cases wcto notified and 8i soldiers attended the disipensaxy. The medical superintendent of the Upper Sanatorium (Dr. "\V. Aitken) reported that on September 30th thera were 88 p»tiont3 under treatment and two patients had died during the month. _ The Benevolent Committee reported that the number or applications foT benevolent assistance dealt with at its meeting on October Ist and the preceding meeting was 109, representing 381 persons; also seven applications for admission to institutions. New Infirmary Snggestion. Mr Holland suggested the provision of an infirmary for men at the Jubilee Home. He denied that this would mean the scrapping of Tuarangi Home at Ashburton. Other membeis supported Mr Holland's contention. A resolution to refer back clause 3 of the Finance Committee's report, which dealt with this matter, » defeated, and the clause was adopted. It read os follows: A recommendation hao been received from the Benevolent Committee that extra accommodation shall ba provided in connexion with the infirmary at Tuarajigi to the extent of fourteen beds; also, thai tho dining-room accommodation shall be practically doubled. Tho Finance Committee also reported thai the Minister had approved tho additional etorey on ward 10, and tho committee proposed to have tenders available at the next meeting. . Plana foi the alterations to tho WHkan Hospital, to cost £6OO, were approved.