HOSPITAL BOARD.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20736, 22 December 1932, Page 4

HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. A meeting oi' the North Canterbury Hospital Board was held yesterday, when there were present Mr If. J. Otley (chairman).. Mesdames T. Green, J. A. Beau, and E. 11. McCombs, Drs. I*. Stanley Foster and H. T. D. Acland, and Messrs A. T. Smith, 11. 11. Holland, T. Thompson, W. T. Foster, J. Boyd, J. K. Archer, W. P. Spencer. J. &. Burnett, H. A. Bennett, H. 11. Davison, L. L>. Kvans, F. Itowcli. 'W. J. Walter, and D. McMillan. Letters were received from various members or Parliament who had promised to confer with the Minister for Finance with a view to making the Board's debentures "trustee securities." The letters stated that as the matter had been dealt with by Cabinet it was unlikely that any alteration could be madu in the desired direction. The Hospital Committee stated that the average daily number of patients in hospital daring November was 364. In the venereal diseases department there were 1595 attendances, representing 334 patients, 44 of whom were new. The house surgeon staff had been strengthened by two sixth-year students and one qualified man, who was expected to take up his duties yesterday. It was stated that an enormous amount of extra duty had been placed on the medical superintendent and his assistant, owinq to the shortage of staff. The attention of the committee had been called to the fact that a large number of medical men associated with friendly societies made a practice of sending their patients to the outpatients' department of the hospital for attention that could well be given to them in their own homes or in the doctor's surgery. The attention of the various lodges was being called to this practW. which had been occurring for a number of year?!. Tl;e report was adopted. Public Health Committee. The report of the Public Health Committee stated that Dr. I. C. Macintyre had been enabled, through the assistance of the Director-General of Health, to obtain tho assistance of Dr. Moir (lady), who would act as temporary assistant for two months. It was reported that infectious diseases notified during November totalled 30, a reduction of 39 as compared with the corresponding period of last year, when the number was considered to be singularly low. Twentytwo cases were treated in the infectious diseases hospital in November, and eight days ago there were only nine eases in the institution. Dr. Macintyre had, on more than one occasion, to exclude visitors from the institutions, such exclusion taking place under the Board's regulations whereby certain patients might not be visited by visitors on account of their condition, or because visitors might excite them to sm undue extent. Further, visitors coming in to visit one patient were not supposed tr> visit other patients in the institutions. A complaint had been made to the committee, and it was found that the doctor had acted in accordance with the Board's regulations. Tli? report was adopted. Finance Committee. The Finance Committee reported that of tho redemption loan £30,400 worth of debentures had been sold, and of the building loan £17,300. Applications were coming in quietly, but satisfactorily. It was recommended that a vacuum pump be imported for the hot water servieo at the hospital, the sum of £4OO having been placed on the estimates for the purpose in April last. ; The report was adopted. At the conclusion of the meeting the chairman wished the members of the Board the compliments of the reason.