GREY HOSPITAL BOARD

Grey River Argus, 15 August 1945, Page 3

GREY HOSPITAL BOARD

monthTy’meeting. Mr F. J. Oakley presided over the monthly meeting of the Grey Hospital Board, held last evening. Also present were Mrs E. Parfitt, Messrs W. Gutberlet, J. E. Stokes, J'. B. Kent, J. F. Laing, A. Mosley, H. G. Carter and T. P. Ryan, also the Managing Secretary (Mr J. E. A. McKeefry). The hospital committee recommended: — (1) That payment to student probationers be made during their period of tuition before taking over duties in the hospital; and (2) that the Medical Superintendent, Matron and Secretaiy go into the matter of the purchase of a film projector and report back to the Board as to cost and the most suitable apparatus; (3) that the Secretary advise the Director-General of Health that the Board was not concerned with stabilisation prices, but only with obtaining adequate supplies of milk to institutions controlled by the Board; (4) that the matter of censorship be referred to the Medical Superintendent for the requisite action. The committee reported that the Matron had brought up the question of aides at the Old People’s Home, and it was recommended that as the duties of both aides and maids were similar, all be placed in the same category and paid as under the Domestic Workers’ Award. They had inspected the present dispensary, and were of the opinion, on the amount of work done, that a more suitable site adjacent to the hospital should be provided. They recommended that a p're-fabricated building of approximately 45ft by 15ft be purchased and erected on the southern side of the hospital between the laboratory! and Hannan Ward. The committee recorded its appreciation of the work of the contractor on rectifying the plumbing round the hospital, the brighter aspects of the various buildings, the work of the painters, and the enhanced value of the south section of the hospital reserve, which the gardener had levelled and sown in grass. The secretary, Blaketown Ratepayers’ Association wrote asking that when the ambulance was not available other means of transport be provided. Instructions had been given that, when the ambulance was out of commission, all ambulance cases would be dealt with by Messrs Kennedy Bros. The report was adopted. The finance committee reported that the Director-General had forwarded Ministerial approval for the appointment of Dr. Stephen de C. Barclay to the position of chief surgeon; also that he had advised grants to members of the nursing staff suffering from tuberculosis should be continued during the period of incapacitation as long as the nurse remained under satisfactory medical supervision and treatment. ■ The Superintendent National Provident Fund had forwarded an agreement covering cost-of-living bonus to ex-employees who are retired and now in receipt of pensions, and it had been left to the chairman and Mr Kent to sign the agreement. The Dominion Secretary, Registered Nurses’ Association, advised that, in consultation with the Hospital Boards’ Association, increases in salary for nursing staff would be recommended at a meeting on August 3. A letter had been received from the Engineer to the Greymouth Borough Council, outlining a scheme for getting the borough sewerage and drainage gang on to the job of taking the hospital sewerage, which at present discharges into an area of tidal water in front of the hospital, into the borough sewerage system. It was decided to ask the Borough Council for more details of the plan, also for an estimate of the price. It was recommended that plans and specifications for a doctor’s residence be obtained, and that a report on the financing of the project be submitted at the next meeting of the Board. The report was adopted. Mr Stokes said that it was three months since it was decided to rearrange the Seddon Ward, and that so far nothing had been done. If the matter was urgent at that time, he said, then it must still be urgent. The chairman reported that the contractor had said he could put two men on the job right away, but it was a job which once started would have to be completed as rapidly as possible. Mrs Parfitt suggested that they should get someone else if a start was not made soon. . „ •It was decided to instruct the finance committee to interview the contractor and get him to commence alterations before the next meeting.