HOSPITAL AFFAIRS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 282, 12 November 1936, Page 4

HOSPITAL AFFAIRS

Lengthy Discussion Over Remit WAIPAWA BOARD From Our Own Correspondent. WAIPUKURAU, Nov. 11. A request from the Wellington Hospital Board that the Waipawa board should support a remit, to be sent by the Wellington Board to the Hospital Boards’ Conference, met-with a mixed reception at the meeting of the Waipawa board yesterday; The remit for which support was asked was: “That section 92 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act 1926. and its amendments, be abolished.” . This section of the act refers to the responsibilities of hospital boards in regard to patients- - from outside the boards’ own residential area. After a fairly lengthy discussion, the following motion was passed. “That the Wellington Hospital Board be advised that this opens up a very broad principle, and before any final decision is given, the matter will receive the board’s fullest consideiation. In the meantime, the secretary is instructed to prepare a return showing how this, matter has affected this board in the past, and he is also to communicate with the Department of Health, asking for its views on the subject, in view of the whole problem being involved in the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme.” The report by the superintendent of tho Waipukurau Fire Brigade was received. This report recommended that some further means of exit from the top floor at the nurses’ home be made, in addition to the wooden staircase at present in the building. Iron fire escapes outside the building were suggested as suitable. He also recoin* mended that four new fire extinguishers be procured and placed at certain points in the hospital. The sanatorium being farther from the town, and a wooden building being considered to require a greater amount of apparatus, it was recommended that all the extinguishers should be put into oommission and regularly refilled, and that the present hose ba replaced with 200 feet of two-and-a-half inch canvas hose placed on a proper hose carrier, and the staff instructed in the use of fire-fighting apparatus. The secretary was instructed to bring down a report on the cost of carrying out these recommendations. Those present were: Messrs. W. Rathbone (chairman), R. A. Fraser, D. Eddy, L. Glenny B. G. Atkins N. G. Hawthorn, H. W. White, T. P. Hunter, Dr. Fisher (medical superintendent at the hospital), Dr. P. C. Anderson (Pukeora Sanatorium superintendent), and Mr P. R. Smyrk (managing secretary). The managing-secretary reported: “Reorganising of the staff, as directed at the last meeting, is gradually being proceeded with. If was possible to adopt the 40-hour week for outside maintenance staffs at once, and it is hoped that the whole of the revised hours, as far as male staff are concerned, will be operating in the course of a week or so. “The contract for additions to the sanatorium parade ground verandah has been completed, and this is now occupied. After collaboration with the medical superintendent, it was agreed that temporary equipment (from stocks) be provided in the meantime“Mr Davies (architect) has gone further into the matter of increased staffing accommodation with the. medical superintendent and myself, and I expect his revised sketches and estimates to be to hand any time. The contractors have completed the tarsealing work at the sanatorium, but there still. remains a fair amount of work to be carried out cfn the hospital contract.

“I have discussed with the head gardener the recommendations of the Napier Borough Council’s superintendent of reserves, and it has been agreed that, owing to the dryness of the season, no planting of any description will be advisable in the .meantime.

“As directed at the last meeting, stricter supervision is now being made to patients from this district crossing the border and entering , the Hawke’s Bay District. Hospitals. By arrangement with the Hawke’s Bay Board, two cases of thjs nature were transferred from the Hastings Hospital to our own hospital during the month.