HAWERA HOSPITAL BOARD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 19 July 1918, Page 6

HAWERA HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Hawera Hospital Board was hold jesterday afternoon. Present: Jiesi-rs G. \Y. Tayler (chairman), R. J. Linn, A. Campbell, C. J- Hawken, T. A. Bridge, and F. Gillanders. Leave of absence was granted to Messrs J. Mars and T.

Winks. 'The matron reported that since the last meeting of the Board there had been 77 admissions, 57 discharges, and 5 deaths. The largest number on any day was 82, and the lowest was 55. The number of patients remaining m the institution on July IS was 57. The number of diphtheria cases admitted was 44. Miss B. G. Davies (Auckland) arrived on July 2 to take up the position of senior "sister, vacated by Miss Brett; Miss E. MeFadgen, who had decided to stay on the staff as sister, had resigned in order to take a more lucrative position at Inglewood. A circular was received from the Department of Public Health, drawing the attention of the Board to the desirableness of more uniformity being observed in the amount of allowances made to old age pensioners in charitable institutions. The circular pointed out that it was the Minister's opinion that an amount of not less than 2s per week out of the additional 5s per week granted by Parliament should be granted to pensioners in addition to any allowance of tobacco and all necessary clothing. The secretary said Hawera Board was paying 2s 6d. The letter was received. Another circular was read from the Department stating that for the last financial year the average cost per bed in the public hospitals of the Dominion was £109. It was therefore suggested that the boards shcxild adopt a uniform charge of 6s per day for all patients. The chairman said" the Hawera Board charged 7s per day, and he saw no reason for r,ltering.,it.- The Board was nmv paying 30 per cent more for its staff, and it had to be remembered that at the present the hospital was lieln^ run at 'high pressure, having an average of 60 patients as against 30 to

40 previously. The circular was received, and the secretary was instructed to inform the Minister of the Board's charges. The -f.oc-vetary of the Taranaki United Friendly Societies' Association wrote asking if the Board would allow the association a 25 per cent rebate on the amount owing by it to the Board in respect to patients. The net amount was £297 12s 6d. The chairman said he was afraid that there was no option but to accede to the request. He noticed by the correspondence that the New Plymouth Board had decided to grant a similar rebate to the association. Cr Hawken moved that the Board accede to the association's request. It was not to be regarded as a precedent. Mr Gillanders seconded the motion, which was carried. A letter was received from Mr C. E. Major, Auckland,, asking the Board to consider the question of acquiring his residence in Hawera for a maternity home.

No action was taken. A request was recevied from the Hawera Borough Council to have tha branches of the trees overhanging the cemetery custodian's cottage trimmed. The secretary stated that the matter was receiving attention. It was decided to inform the Borough Council accordingly. A motion was carried instructing the secretary to write! to the Minister of Hospitals stating, that .the conference of the contributing local bodies had sanctioned the purchase of the new hospital site. The diphtheria epidemic was dealt with, a report of which appears elsewhere.