AROUND THE HOSPITALS

Evening Star, Issue 20985, 26 December 1931, Page 8

AROUND THE HOSPITALS

CHRISTMAS DAY FESTIVITIES Highly successful efforts were made to brighten Christmas Day for the patients in the Dunedin Hospital and other public institutions. Yesterday representatives of the board, the secretary (Mr J. Jacobs), the _ medical superintendent of the Dunedin Hospital (Dr Thomson), and the matron gave up much of their Christmas Day leisure to go around the various institutions and see that everything had been done to ensure the happiness and comfort of the patients. All the wards at the Public Hospital had been gaily decorated by the sisters and nurses, an' abundance of fresh flowers having been obtained for the occasion. A feature of the attractions in one of the wards was a picturesque Christmas tree, the branches of which were bending under the weight of certain good things that had been attached. Special menus, comprising ham and turkey, plum puddings and jellies, were provided, and members of the board found that every patient had received a bunch of flowers from one of. the women's organisations of First Church.

During the day a visit was also paid to the Benevolent Institution, the Batchelor Home, and the Wakari Hospital, where similar preparations had been made for' greeting the greatest day of the year. In the course of the rounds the chairman of the board distributed the “ Richmond shilling ” to all the patients. At the Kew Home for, Children Father Christmas arrived in; person at 6 a.m. The patients and staff' of the Batchelor Hospital all received a gift from Mr Edmond, of Melbourne. All luxuries given to patients in the' various institutions under the control of, the Otago Hospital Board are provided l for out of the Campbell Interest Account, which allows for luxuries for patients at Christmas, so that the Hospital Board does not incur any extra ex- ( penditure. Sir Downes (controller o£j stores) has been busy for some months j in making the arrangements for thej patients’ Christmas treat. _ Each male j patient in the various institutions was] presented with a cigar and each woman with a box of chocolates.