ASHBURTON HOSPITAL BOARD

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17157, 2 May 1916, Page 2

ASHBURTON HOSPITAL BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Ashburton Hospital and'Charitable Aid Board was held yesterday, the chairman (Mr Htigo Friedlandor) presiding. The chairman reported a credit balance of £1392 lis 11<1. The revenue since last meeting had been ££s2 13s 9d. ' There had been no fresh cases of infectious diseases reported from March 28 to' April 10, hut sinco that date to April 27, a number of cases had been notified from various districts, including eight cases of scarlet fovor, four cases of diphtheria and a case of infantile paralysis. Two fresh cases had been reported that morning. The Health Department did not favour additions to tho present fever ward, hu: recommended that a new ' building should be erected. The medical superintendent reported that on April 1 there wore twenty-five patients in the hospital. Twenty-five had been admitted during tho month and thirty-three discharged. Two had died. On' April 20 there wero twentyfive patients in the institution. There had been seven operations during the month, making a total of 134 during his first year, as compared with 109, the highest previous record for any one previous year. . Mr F. W. Watt was appointed, on the visiting committee for May., and Mr W. J. Dickie for May and June. Comment was made on the fact that an old man had been brought to the hospital in a moribund condition from one of the huts in the Ashburton River -bed,' and'ib was 'decided to call the attention of the Borough Council and tho Tinwald Town Board to the conditions under which some.of the dwells in the huts on the banks of tho river

-An adverse report was received on the condition of the filter beds m connection with the septic tank at the hosS and it was decided that the tank should bo sealed in in a similar manner £ tie septic tank at the Tuarangi Old Men's Home, which had been working satisfactorily for a number of years. Shaking on the general expenditure of the hospital during the six years Mr J. C. Harper said he thought, it was about time the board caUod a halt and went a bit easier than had been doing. The doctors and the health authorities seemed to come round and see in what direction more moncv could bo continually spent, while it seemed to him that their hospital was now thoroughly up to date. The District Health Officer wrote asking that some assistance should be given to Mr Kershaw, the health inspector tor the district, as he could not now.cover the whole of tho district. Ifc would not bo necessary to make at present a house-to-house inspection throughout the district, but such an inspection should be made in the fiakaia and Mount Hutt Road Board districts. It was decided to convene a conference of representatives of all the local bodies in tho county to discuss sanitary mattcrs and to consider the appointment, of an independent inspector, as had been suggested by Dr Cliesson at tho last meeting. Mr Kershaw m the meantime to be authorised to procure temporary assistance. • The medical superintendent. Dr Rendle, was present, and made suggestions as to the construction of tho proposed new fever hospital. Mr F. W. Watt proposed, and Mr W. J. Dickie seconded, that a,new building should be erected. Messrs• 0. lleid, H. J. Harrison. J. Cairns and 0. J- Harper spoke against the erection of a new building at the present time. The motion was carried ou the casting vote of the chairman.

It was resolved that in accordance with the Hospital and Charitable lnstiI t'utions Act, 1909, a levy should be I made of £2451 2s 3d on the contributing 'local bodies in the Ashburton district for the year ending March SI. 1917, the levy to be apportioned according to the capital rateable value of each contributing body, and to be collects! in twelve equal monthly instalments. «,»,, - .. ;.-»A»Su.'