DEVELOPMENTS IN BULLER

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22591, 22 December 1938, Page 6

DEVELOPMENTS IN BULLER

FUTURE OF HOSPITAL AFFAIRS

PREDICTION AT MEETING OF BOARD

A prediction of great developments in Buller 11. jpital affairs next year was mad.e by the chairman of the Buller Hospital Board (the Hon. W. H. McIntyre) at the monthly meeting on Tuesday night He said that arrangements had been almost. completed for a loan of £38,000 for improvements, which, when completed, would make the Buller Hospital one of the best in its class in the Dominion. He said he was looking forward to the inauguration of the social security scheme next year, when the board's work would be greatly reduced, and a lot of time would not have to be spend reviewing accounts as was done at present The secretary reported that the payments for two-thirds of the financial year amounted to £18,446. He estimated the total expenditure for the year at £25,128, compared with the original estimate of £25,069. Disregarding levy and subsidy, the receipts, he reported, were well in advance of the estimate, a d the position generally was very satisfactory. He said that the cost of repairing and renovarting Nurse Harry's residence at Karamea, for conversion into a maternity hospital, had been done by day labour, at almost £IOO less than the contract price. The trustees of the Watson Estate (Granity) having refused the offer of £450 for the homestead, the secretary advised the board to seek elsewhere for a suitable building for a maternity hospital.

It was decided to go into the question of the Gsanity Hospital early in the new year. Mr W. R. Simpson (Karamea) expressed satisfaction at the provision of a fine maternity hospital at Karamea through the conversion of Nurse Harry's residence into an institution capable of catering for the ever-increas-ing needs of the district