HAWERA HOSPITAL BOARD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXX, Issue LXXX, 27 April 1920, Page 5

HAWERA HOSPITAL BOARD.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting or the Hawera Hospital .board -.vas iieid on Monday. Present: Messrs G. Tayler (chairman), -Campoen, Guiamiers, «j. J. jtlawken, Linn, Meidon, Ai.ch.ay, Wills and vxiaord.

CHAIRMAN'S -REPORT,

The chairman said: In submitting to you my seventh annual report, i have to dwell on the' iuct that aicnough nothing of outstanding importance nas occurred during the .year just ended a cousiderabJe amounc or detail work has been put through, both by th e Board and the executive. This is due to the general unrest and unsettled state of affairs that has existed since the close or the war, and also to the high prices ruling for every commodity required by *fe -board. I n regard to the hospital stair, there has been an unusual number of changes amongst the qualified nurses, and probationers to fill the places of those leaving after having passed their final examinations, have been difficult to secure. At the present moment the hospital is slightly under-staffed, but I a~m advised that the posit-.on is improving. It is my opinion that the low salaries paid tonurses is partly responsible for the unrest but this matter, I understand, will be thoroughly gone into at the Conference of Hospital Boards to be held m. Wellington in June next. In regard to the prices of snpolies, a comparison of this year's working expenses against those of previous years ■will show that a considerable increase in. the nnce of all commodities h»»s taken place, and. as is generally known, certain lines have bfen very difficult, .to secure. . It is Ratisfactorv to rotp, however, that nil tho-libspitol wants have been supplied, and'that the expenditure lias been kept within tne -amount provided in last. year!s estimates. This has only been accomp!'«heri through the dv'ngof <?ona:deN + c t^aht and attention to thp ter. TheTe has ap-qin this year been'a teavv dpm>nd on +ne fcc^ramoWatinn of the hospital. Although there nas been a considerable failing off in the nvmher of admissions and discharges, this has bef n counter-balanced W the average md:.vid"al days' stay being ereatlv prolonged, and a greater number of ailments beinnr den]* w'+V The pctnal fi^nrp.s for the past three years are as follows: * . '

.1917-1 a—Athn'ssimw 521, 499, daily n,verap"> 33.7, individual <is»vs' *stay 21.9. 1918719: Adm:«s-ons 678, discharges 612. daily average 40 4, individual davs>- gtjiv 20.8. 1919-20: Admissions 481, discharges 443. daily average 38.2, individual days' stay 27. • Allowing for tlte inflation of the 1918-19 year's figures due to the influenza endemic, th* above ' shows a oste^v [reread, and uointß to th*> necps«it.v <-i p-shipgr ahead the building or +-ne new hoinital. Finn^e—Tt i<? oiratifv'tijr to note +n»t ■a considerable increase has taken place •n t^« recants. Lnnd 'apents' lice««-« . fees hov e tVs ve^r increased from to £9J7. nn( l patient's' feo fi V HVe yielded £2667. ns against £1802, £-59 cf which had been written off as be:ng irrecoverable. Last year we received a bequest of £500. The amount received this year was £154,. Voluntary donations have, hofls^fer; eclipsed all previous records, tI»V amount being £172. Hospital Maintenance—Though considerably higher than any previous year, it is within the amount estimated, namely, £|20Q. < Charitable aid stows a ■slight increase and' public health a decrease;' e £+ penses have, as antieijjate^;'gone up (comp^nsoc^ not • available, as account has not correctly been kept in the J>ast). Contributions by local bodies an-1 payment Qf .CforsTflnj^nt guMdies have oil the wkle beeii sat{§fffiry Ijoeal bodies were, owiiig, at March 31, TTl!,' v k« lll Sub|idieg outstandingtotalled £1050. This it a m uc h Jess amount than has been outstanding fof several years past. The net result of the year's work, from a financial aspect, is that we have reduced our bank overdraft from £6384 to £4 6s sd— a very satisfactory position. It should oe noted, however, that the amount of 41800 raked for the. purpose of erecting a farm manager's cottage and cowshed still remains unspent.1 I regret that the position in regard to the farm manager's cottage and cowshed is not' at all satisfactory. Through representations to the Board of Trade, the* difficulty m regard to the shortage of, cement hss been got over, but up to the present the contractor, Mr E A Pacey, has not been able to make a start with the work, shortage of labor being the cause of the delay. Gentlemen, you will be asked at this meeting to consider the information tbat lias been collected and to decide as to the accommodation to be provided in the new hospital. It is hoped that when a. decision has been reached to have our architects prepare sketch plans and to submit them to the De partment for approval, and it is.hoped to have matters in hand so that the iJoaid may see its way to commence biiildms the new hospital as soon as sn opportunity offers. *

In conclusion, I would like to add that the thanks of the Board are due to the medical superintendent, matron aod secretary, all of whom have performed their allotted duties in a most efficient manner, and have always been ready to assist me in carrying out the duties of chairman of your Board Mr Tayler said he had had twentynve years' experience in charitable aid work. For seven years he had been chairman of the Board, and had never T^SSG^ a, mel tin S d««ng that time., lhe .Board's finances showed that the \ management of t"he Board'® affairs had been satisfactory, as on March 31 they only showed a debit balance of £1 os 6d. When asked to take the chair seven years ago he had pointed out that it would be better to appoint a townsman to the position. A gentleman of good standing was now forthcoming for the office of chairman, and one that had done splendid work durthe epidemic. He referred to Mr'Gillanders. The report was received. ; CORRESPONDENCE. The Public Health Department wrote advising that it could now cup--0-100 pairs of white blankets n*a • j p,e-r p ->ah' from epidemic stock —Utter declined. The Eltham Racing Club was granted the use of the ambulance for- their meeting on May 14. A similar request by the Egmont Racing Club was also granted. A letter from the Department in reterence to supplies of sera and vaccines was referred to the secretary and medical officer. • TJL e Chief Health Officer notified that j in the event of a recrudescence of influenza the Defence Department had a large number of tents available for such purposes.—Received. ; The matron wrote thanking th& .board for the substantial rise in her I salary and the accompanying expression of good will. * J *> * REPORTS. The matron reported that since the Board's meeting on March 15 fifty-nine patients had been admitted and fortyeight discharged. There had been no deaths, and the number of patients re-»

niaininjj in the hospital was thirtyseven, twelve of wnun >,tre suffering Jtrom diphtheria.—Receivea. '^he matron further reported that ?.:Usj Violet Cameron, who Jiad completed her three mo.ntiis' probat.nn, acting on medical advice, had" ucc.^ckl llot \° continue the training. X n Jlarcii Aliss Y. M. Leo vA<^iiotu) ana Miss A. A. McCarthy (^.otutka) arrived on three months' £>iv, jution. Earlj' in the month Nui-se A., j.-iiton, trained at Dannevirke, had joined the staff as a sister. A eenior .sister was still wanted, and there were no prospect of obtaining one. After the June examinations there was every prospect of three more nurses leaving^ The matter of procuring the services of a senior sister was left in the hands of the chairman and matron with power to act. The health inspector* reported that for the month ended April 16 one ca«» of scarlet fever was notified in the Hawera Borough, one of diphtheria in Hawera County, fivd cases of 'diphtheria in Eltham Borough, eight cases of diphtheria and one of tuberculosis in Eltham County, one case of tuberculosis in Waimate West County, and one case of diphtheria .at Kaponga. All the patients were removed to the hospital, except three of the diphtheria cases in Eltham County. Forty-nine cases of influenza were notified throughout the district, all of which were mild. It had been brought under the notice of butchers and other sellers of food that it was against the regulations to sell food wrapped in newspapers.—Received. The chairman referred to the unsatisfactory etate of the .ambulance, and on the motion of Mr Tayler the matter was referred to the Ambulance Committee with power to : act. A resolution was passed authorising a bank; overdraft of £6000. The question of whether doctors with privaie hospitals should be held liable - tor ithe hire of the ambulance when used in taking patients to their hospitals was raised by the chairman, and the view was held by members that th© doctors should continue to accept this responsibility. - - ' REMITS. r the motion of Mr Tayler, second- ' ea by Mr Hawken, it was resolved to iorward . a remit to the Hospital Boards' Conference, recommending that j the Government be asked to have the valuations in the whole of the Hospital Board district done in the same year. Another remit, moved by Mr Haw-k-en and seconded by Mr Wills, was that land agents' licenses be increased to £100. This was unanimously agreed to. Accounts totalling £834 9s were passed for payment.