WAIPIATA SANATORIUM

Evening Star, Issue 19518, 28 March 1927, Page 2

WAIPIATA SANATORIUM

j GOIIOfTIOM OF PATIENTS Mr J. Malheson presided at the meeting of the committee of the Waipiata Sanatorium. Dr Kidd (medical superintendent) reported that on March 1 there were eighty patients in the institution, all of whom, with the exception of nine, whoso condition was unchanged, were doing well or improving. He forwarded his usual weather report for February. He reported on his visits to Oama.ru, Timaru, Ashburton, and Invercargill, and the number of patients he had examined at these places.

Dr Kidd also submitted an interesting report on the work of the institution for the past twelve months, showing that from April 1, 1926, to the date of the committee’s meeting twenty-nine females and twenty-eight males, a total of fifty-seven,_ had been discharged from the sanatorium, their condition on discharge being as follows • Disease arrested 41 Disease quiescent 5 Improved 8 Unimproved 6 Of the forty-one who were discharged with the disease arrested thirty-nine of these, to his own knowledge, wore still keeping well. The other two ho had not been in touch with for some time and was not sure of their present condition. He also submitted a summary of results since the institution »na opened in 1923 until March, 1927, snowing that a total of 119 patients had been discharged in that period. Ho also reported that during his monthly visits to the different centres for the year ending March, 1927, he had, at Timaru, Invercargill, Ashburton, Oamaru, Balolutha, Clyde, and Naseby, examined 292 patients, with the following results: —Suitable for sanatorium treatment, 193; unsuitable, 60; no definite signs of disease, 40. ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE.

The Treasurer submitted a statement of the committee’s cash receipts and payments for the year ending March, 1927, and the proposed expenditure For the ensuing year, recommending that no levy be made on the contributing boards for maintenance, the patients’ fees that are paid by the boards being considered sufficient to cover the maintenance expenditure. In connection with the capital expenditure he submitted a statement showing that £6,334 7s 6d was owing on existing contracts and a sum of £8,131 11s 5d would be required to carry out additional expenditure that had already been approved by the committee, a total of £13,464 18s lid. As there was a credit balance at present on the capital account of £1,783 3s lid he stated that a levy on the associated boards would be required of £11,500 for the ensuing year. After considerable discussion it was ultimately decided that, if possible, the committee should endeavor to carry out its programme for the ensuing year without increasing its capital levy on the amount levied last year—namely, £lo,ooo—and the secretary was histructed to notify the contributing boards and the Department of Health accordingly, the proposed items of expenditure for the ensuing year being additional shelters for patients £3,500, alterations to laundry and installing plant £2,000, building new cow byre £BSO, furnishings, etc., £680; the items for pigstyes and fowl runs cut down to a moderate amount.

GOVERNMENT GRANT.

In view of the amount of work still required in tho levelling of the grounds at the sanatorium and making paths and roadways, it was decided that the Government be respectively asked for a grant of £2,500 towards this and other urgent necessary capital expenditure required at the institution, and that members of committee be directed to bring the matter before their parliamentary representatives to support this request in Parliament. GENERAL. The Secretary submitted his usual bed state report for the month, showing that at date of meeting the following number of patients were in the institution from the different boards’ districts South Canterbury 24,_ Southland 21, Ashburton 12, Waitaki 6, South Otago 6, Maniototo 2, Vincent 1, Wallace 1, private patient 1. During the month ten patients were discharged from the institution, seven with the disease arrested, two disease quiescent, and one improved. He _ also submitted a list of forty-nine patients who were waiting admission to the sanatorium. —The report was adopted. An ex-patient wrote complaining that he had received unfair treatment in being discharged ,by the medical superintendent from the sanatorium. — After hearing the medical superintendent’s report on the circumstances the committee decided to inform the patient that it must uphold the medical superintendent’s action, and _is satisfied with the latter’s explanation of the circumstances leading up to tho patient’s discharge. The Director-General of Health advised that Mr Allen, technical inspector to the department, would visit \\ aipiata this month for the purpose of conferring with the medical superintendent on the preparation of plans for more shelters for patients.—Received. _ . in connection with the improving of laundry conditions, the _ matron reported that it w'ould be impossible to go through another winter with the present inadequate arrangements for washing and drying, and it was unanimously decided that when Mr Allen visits the institution this month he confer with the medical superintendent in the direction of preparing a specification of tho necessary plant and alterations to the laundry to Imuso same, keeping in view the desirability of using as much electric current as possible in the design, seeing tho committee has now an adequate water supply for generating its own current, and at the earliest date a quotation be submitted to the chairman and secretary of the required building alterations. The installing of a cupboard in tho kitchen and certain alterations and repairs asked for by the matron and reported on by the chairman were authorised to be carried out. The Farm Manager submitted a report of his purchases and sales for the month and the quantity of milk and mutton supplied to tho sanatorium. He also submitted a statement of the year’s farming operations and a detailed list of the stock, fodder, implements, etc,, on hand as at date, which were received and left in the hands of the treasurer to embody in the committee’s annual accounts and balancesheet. . Accounts and salaries totalling £999 2s 4d were passed for payment. It was decided to_ hoH the next meeting of the committee in Dunedin on Tuesday, April 26.