HOSPITAL BOARD

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20901, 29 September 1942, Page 6

HOSPITAL BOARD

GIFTS FOR PATIENTS ADDITION TO RESIDENCE A meeting ol' the Cook Hospital Board was held yesterday afternoon. Those present were: Mr. M. T. Trafford, chairman, Mesdames Ada E. Beer, E. R. Black, and E. It. Scott, Messrs, R. Campbell, J. H. Hall, S. T. Gray, L. H. L. Maclean. G. D. Muirhead, H. J. F. Tombleson, and H. Cooper. Mr. Charles Luker iorwarded £4 2s Gd as proceeds from the sale of a cow towards the radium fund. The Man-

Auction Sales appear on page 1.

aging Secretary, Mr. C. A. Harries, reported that Mr. Luker had been a patient in the hospital and apparently pleased with the treatment received. Mr. K. A. Woodward advised that under the will of the late Miss Henrietta deCent £lO had been bequeathed to the board for the purchase of comforts or otherwise for the benefit of inmates of the Memorial Home. The board agreed to.add the amount to the radio fund. The Health Department advised that Dr. Hugh Short had been appointed part-time tuberculosis officer to the board. The Wairoa Hospital Board wrote asking that the board’s orthopaedic cases be seen by Dr. W. Robertson at the Cook Hospital. The ,chairman, medical superintendent and the man-aging-secretary were deputed to atteftd to 1 the ''matter, with power to act. The finance committee reported that the estimated cost of carrying out a proposed addition to the medical superintendent’s home was £230. The board decided to carry out the work with its own staff. Purchase of Piano The beard agreed to the purchase of a piano nom me r. a. ureen bequest account, following a report that a recent offer of a concert for the patients could not be accepted owing to there being no piano available. The matron was deputed to select suitable recreational games for patients of the tuberculosis and isolation blocks. The medical superintendent. Dr. R. J. B. Hall, reported that there were 194 patients in hospital at the end ot August, compared with 179 at the beginning of the month. Fifty-three patients had been in hospital for periods of two months or over. Nineteen patients were admitted to the Cook Maternity Home and 19 babies were born. On the recommendation of a special committee, the board decided to purchase young poultry to bring the total stock up to 4UO birds. The present cost to the Cook Hospital and Memorial Home for eggs was £6OO a year. The value of production at the Memorial Home last year was £B7. Builder’s Claim The board discussed a claim for £2509 for the final payment for the nurses’ home and boiler house contract from the contractor, Mr. H. S. Irvine, but the board’s architect, Mr. R. Natusch, estimated that the payment should be only £735. It was stated that disputes under the contract should be referred to arbitration, and the board agreed to do everything possible to endeavour to settle the matter in that way.

During a discussion on the proposed polyclinic, the chairman asked the architect if he would be prepared to pay his own travelling expenses when visiting Gisborne. Mr. Natusch replied that he was not prepared to do that, because he was justified in asking for such payment. Gifts to the board’s institutions were acknowledged from the following:—Mesdames W. H. Nolan, Johnstone, McDonnell, Harding, T. Wells, Jolly and McGregor; Misses Goddard and Mitchell; Victoria League, anonymous; Messrs. D. F. Davies and L. Torrie; Red Cross Society, per Mrs. C. Bull, and arts and crafts branch, Tamarau Institute.