COST ALMOST £l000

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1947, Page 3

COST ALMOST £l000

REPLACEMENT OF HOSPITAL ARTICLES QUARTERLYWRITE-OFF The sum of £972/15/3 was written off by the Grey Hospital Board which met last evening. This sum represented tbe value of hospital articles damaged or otherwise rendered useless during the past three months. The items written of? were as follows: Surgical, £B7/7/10; crockery, £lO2/18/1; hardware, £lO7/8/11; furniture, £229/1/1; linen £445 19/4. The main hospital itself and the linen room were responsible for most of the written-off stores. Answering comment on the amount, involved in crockery replacements, Mr. J, E. Stokes said that articles obtained at the present time would not last. “These breakages are the fault of the crockery, not the staff,” he said, pointing out that it took “very little” to break .the handles off cups. Mr. J. F. Oakley presided at the meeting and also present were Messrs H. G. Carter, T. P. Ryan, A. Mosley, W. Fisher, Stokes, W. Gutberlet and R. Clark. Writing concerning the campaign to recruit nurses, the Hospital Boards’ Association stated that it had been decided to set up a joint publicity scheme with newspaper advertising as the basis, to co-ordinate publicity and to eliminate boards endeavouring to attract nurses from another district.

Training Male Nurses The Director-General of Health advised that provision for the training and examination of male nurses, was being made in legislation which it was hoped would be gazetted shortly. Accounts amounting to £12,910/4/1 were ratified. Approval for the board’s overdraft of £9,000 for the period from January 1 to March 31 was forwarded by the Ministei - of Health. The Director-General of Health advised that the Government had again decided to make a special cash payment as a Christmas bonus to those directly in receipt of regular outdoor relief from hospital boards.— The managing secretary’s action in distributing the grant was endorsed. After receipt of a report by Mr. Stokes on the repairing of the tennis courts, which he stated would cost from £6O to £9O, it was decided to carry out the work. After a discussion and a report by a special committee, it was resolved to take steps to appoint a records clerk and confidential typist, who would take over from the present office staff the filing of private medical files.

Hospital Reports The Medical Superintendent (Dr. Barclay) reported as follows: — Statistical: Patients admitted during December 108 (Old People’s Home, nil); patients discharged, 131 (three); died 6 (one); patients admitted during January, 147 (three); discharged 118 (five); died five (nil); remaining 100 (28). Physiotherapy Department: December: Outpatients 155; inpatients 94: U.V.L. 17. January: Outpatients 130, inpatients 110; U.V.L. 11. Operating Theatre: December: General 28, Orthopaedic 16, E.N.E.T. 9, dental 3. January: General 47, Orthopaedic 8, E.N.E.T. 26, Dental 13. Bacteriological Department: December: Hospital Exam. 154, O.P.D. 89, other hospitals 14, miscellaneous 16. January: Hospital Exam. 235, O.P.D. 41, other hospitals 37, miscellaneous 18.

Radiography Department: December: Inpatients X-rayed 55, outpatients X-rayed 123; screenings 15; films 208; exposures 250. January: Inpatients X-rayed 60; outpatients X-rayed 120; screenings 10; films 216; exposures 291. Mcßrearty Ward: Patients admitted in December 40; confinements 34; babies born 34; patients remaining (mothers 14, babies 16) 30; antenatal attendances December 108. January: Patients admitted 56; confinements 51; babies born 51: patients remaining (mothers 22, babies 24) 46; ante-natal attendances 117.