HOSPITAL WORK.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18670, 20 April 1926, Page 12

HOSPITAL WORK.

NORTH CANTERBURY* BOARD.

The ariuual meeting-ofy the North CantorHospital Board .took place' yesterday morning. .. Them were/ present:;" Mr U.. J.-' Otley (chairman),' Mrs, McCombs. MrsH. F. Herbert, Mrs'W. S.*RoWt»,''Bev. J.' K. Archer, Rev. Clyde 'Vm<" : F ule . Messrs M. Bethe'll,: L. 8.. Evans, H.-H.-Hol-land, r..'Horrell„ W. E. lieadlejv D. McMillan, F. Rowell, W. V. Spencer, and 35,.; X.Walter...... . ... .--....-v..,. .......,....,.. '..-.^ The annual reports wore .not. all to hand, and tho election."of committees was *eld over until the .next, mooting,, on., account of the. May. elections.' ' A letter was received--from Dr. Malcolm MacEachern, exprASßing'«.bis : %'pJ?reciaUon for the facilities plaqeoUa.t >Jiia idispqaal, and for the courtesy^l>e. v K#a-.>ec>fte2£atvthe hands of the Board^nd;'.the^*«»^rt i «rTßeoeiTed. ! I rina^/C<jniriiftt«e v . , . The Pinanw CotimitMa!SVr(ed'' that eon* tributions fromtiMaJ*b6aie>'for<'fhe,past financial year two amall amounts totalltos^JHlJS'^aSft'd*"-: T" A letter Was'received from "(be Director* General of Health, regarding tha-proposal to enclose the- balcony of ;the-childre"n'a/ward, in which he stated that he-wasrreluctant to approye... the scheme.; The,- value.:of ,oponair balconies was' a feature of.New Zealand hospitals which had been" 'much'Comlnended by authorities the world over, .and, before asking -the' Minister'- consent, 'the'writer! would be glad'of an assurance, that these aspects had -.'been-'-cottsiderea,' 'not : only by. the Board,, but by members'Of 'the 1 honorary K and-stipendiary medical staffs. <;''"' ■

So.that-the matter would have the fullest consideration',; the' committee 'bad''forwarded a'copy to'the' honorary!'staff, with a. request' .for an expression- of opinion..; ' ' The Director-General of Health'- probably would visit Christchurch •• at -an early - date' to discuss the question of the erection'. of a new St. 'Helen's Hospital for the Board. - The '<committee<: recommended'the'purchase of a Tullis (London) ironing .machine, it' 'a cost' (set up in: the Christcburch 'Hospital)' 01..51410.' - -,.- .-•',■" '-, •■'-:• . .■':•».

The Board was recommended, to vote '£26 frorh the-.Ada Smith Trust for the'benefitof■: soldiers in. .the':Upper Sanatorium. "* '• The report was adopted, i ■ •/"-■.• : ■' ; ' The Board passed a resolution determining,, that it would become a contributor to' the Iv>.tional Provident Fund in-respect to-per-sons comprised, in-a .sohadule.. -i,>" ■• •'

' _ ; Hospital Committee,- ■ • .. It was reported that fees amounting to £1712 Is 5d had been collected • from the Christchurch Hoßpital since'lhe last'meeting of the Board, and;£349l.2s Id from the. other hospitals in"(he district. ■'■■■; •' The average daily number.of patients in the hospital -during' March 1 wis 832.2. ■•'■ ' ' In--the-Venereal Diseases Department there were 1454: attendance*, '-representing -.386 patients,' 60' of whom were new.'» • •'■ In the' Dental Department; 1561- operations were performed. The' number of treatments in the Physio-Therapeutic Department:for the month was: Military patients 62'; civilian patients 2107; Twenty-two ■ new ■ patients • word' accepted for treatment in the Radium and Deep Therapy Department, of-.whom 15 were, suffering from malignant ■disease.-'' Sixty-three applications of radium had;been.'made, and deep therapy had been administered 42 Hates.'' ~:..., .1- .. ~

In; the Pathological Department «1471 examinations had been made, and Is,\ postmortem examinations. ■ The report-was'adopted.. ■ - ' :■ Public Health Committee. 'Since the previous'.meeting pf the Board, £l6O i2s"bad[bcea collected in 1 fees'from the Infectious Diseases HoVpital,' and JE329 2s Od. from the .tuberculosis institutions.. Therewere''s3 patients in' the Infectious Diseases Hospital' during February. An. application .-Sad been received from Dr. Btacltmoro asking for additions (o the X-ray plant '■' at th'e : ' Sanatorium.—The-" committee was of the opinion" that it was not desirable to spend' more money r on' this plarit, but rather that patients should be"'rfent'' for examination to the Christchurch Hospital. . At the Cashmere Sanatorium, on March '3lst, there were 83 patients in'residence, and Bix women "awaiting admission. There were 59 patients in the Coronation Hospital, and' four women on ' the waiting" list. At the Fresh Air Home there'were 32" patients, and'o4 patients -at the' Upper' Sanatorium. There were 148' attendances at the tuberculosis dispensary, including 40' new cases: . Dr. W. Aitken, medical superintendent of ■the Upper "Sanatorium, reported that a comimittee from the Christchurch Returned - Sol;dlerV Association -had'-interviewed'.him regarding several complaints made to the Association by patients during his absence on leave in.February., It transpired,thai these .complaints originated from two patients,and .concerned mainly tbr food and its cooking. The writer bad-pointed out"' to the committee the'necessity of" any complaint's being "made to the Board, or" to'''himself in "the' 'first instance. k * .• ■

. The report was adopted. The' Benevolent Committee reported that the number of applications. for benevolent assistance dealt with was 106, representing 321 persons, and there were seven applications for admission to institutions.