PICTON HOSPITAL BOARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 58, 4 March 1909, Page 5

PICTON HOSPITAL BOARD.

The monthly meeting, of the above was attended by Messrs D'Arcy Chaytor (chairman), Foster, Siinmonds, G. Maitalnd, Storey, Weaver, Hodgson, Beech, Boyce, Riddell,'.'..Nees, and Bragg. Notification was received from the Wairau Hospital that a man was admitted to the Blenheim Hospital from the Picton district.

MORE LIGHT WANTED. Mr Simmonds, speaking on-the suggestion to do something with the old kerosene lamp at the Hospital gate, urged that the Board connect the lamp with the acetylene plant. Tne Chairman asked Dr Redman if he had any idea of the probable cost. Dr Redman thought about a chain and a-half of piping would be required. It would be of great benefit to have the acetylene laid on there. The lamp was inside the Hospital gates, and was not by any means a street light. ■ ;' The Secretary estimated the connection would be covered at a cost of £2 10s. ■ ' x ■■■ -

Mr Maitland moved and Mr Foster seconded, and it was so decided, that the lamp be'connected with the acetylene plant. HAVELOCK COTTAGE HOSPITAL. The vexed question/of,',the Cottage Hospital at Haveloek was again brought up, and some; considerable amount of warmth characterised the speeches. Dr Williams, the resident doctor at Haveloek,., was in attendance. The Chairman said, that the Cottage Hospital was-originally intended as a receiving hospital, patients admitted to be sent on,' to the parent hospital at Picton when able to be j moved. But the hospital' had been used more as a second hospital than as a receiving- one. Consequently there had been some, differences of opinion and friction amongst the members of the Board, and he (the Chairman) had thought it better to" ask Dr Williams to attend and talk the matter over with them. The Picton Board did not want to use the Haveloek Cottage Hospital as a second hospital and keep up a large staff there. If there happened to be an urgent case there a nurse would be sent out; in the past the Picton Hospital had been understaffed, and that was why outside nurses had been employed at Haveloek. Dr Williams said there was plenty of room at Haveloek .in the hospital. There was accommodation for eight or ten, patients, and . there, had never been more than five patients ,in the hospital at one time. In reference to removing cases to Picton he had this to say: Most of these cases would cost a certain amount to send through to Picton, and the Cottage Hospital was there and had to he paid for. No-1 thing would be saved by sending theim on to Picton. Another thing which would have to be looked at was the payment of the matron. She received a certain amount on, each case she was attending, and .if the patients were sent on to Pieton she,would lose this payment. The Board would then have to increase her pay so as to give Her enough to live upon. Again lie (the doctor) could not compel patients to go. to Picton. He could only discharge them, and if. they were discharged they simply went on to Blenheim, and the Board would Tiave to pay the Wairau Hospital'for them. Mr Bragg asked if,-, it was not a fact that people were openly encouraged to go to Blenheim^— encouraged in order that pressure might ,be "brought upon the Picton Board to make them amalgamate. •■' Vi '"•■•■ Dr Williams: No;. I do not think that for a moment. - !It is easier for a patient to get into a trap and drive to Blenheim than to -undergo the charges that were necessary to get to Picton.

Mr Weaver wanted to know "who it was that encouraged patients to go to Blenheim. • ; Mr Bragg: The whole of Havelock generally. ■- ; Mr Storey: We want to go to Blenheim. W-© want to amalgamate and have nothing whatever to do with Picton* ,: Mr Maitland: That is straight talk,

anyway. ,Dr Williams pointed otrtythat if Tie kept a man in- Haifel<s6k it cost the Board 12s 6d per week.' ; Suppose he wanted to send the man on; probahly he would refuse and go on to Blenheim, and the cost to the Board would then be £1 per week.Mr Hodgson thought it unfair to the residents of the J-Pelof us district to say that patients were encouraged to go 'to Blenheim. He did not believe a word of it, and it was most unfair and unjust to say it. ! Mr Nees did not think that the members knew what the Cottage Hospital meant to the district, or they would not talk so lightly of throwing up the hospital. Dr Williams had pointed out clearly enough why it was advisable not to turn out the patients'. It was a most unkind reflection Mr Bragg ■ had cast upon them. Th© Committee or the doctor could not force the patients to come to Picton. If the feeling was to throw it up, why, then;, let them get their own rates and run the hospital "on their own." It was always being cast up against them that it cost this and it cost that to run the Cottage Hospital. He would object strongly to closing it up. The Pelorus Board put up the hospital with their own money. The Picton Board were to maintain it, and now they, were quibbling over the money it cost. He would ask the Board to 'let them run the hospital "on their own." In answer to Mr Riddell Pr Williams said as far as he was concerned the patients received as : good treatment in Havelock as1 c fcney could get in Blenheim. Mr Riddell said he was glad to hear it, and then went on to deprecate the feeling with which the Pelorus members had come to the meeting. They should discuss the matter amicably, and not with "swords drawn." The Board only wished to run the Cottage Hospital on business lines. There was ah income of £300 coming from the Pelorus Road Board. and the Havelock Town Board. Why could they not meet and come to an amicable conclusion. It seemed to him that they had come to fight, and he did not;want that. Mr Weaver said that the people in I the hospital at Havelock needed no | pressure to fore© them to Blenheim. I They only had one change to Blenj heim and three to Picton, and when [ patients were told they would be moved on they objected to go to Picton. Everyone he had asked had said if laid up he would _ sooner go to Blenheim than to Picton. If the patients could be treated as cheaply in Havelock as in Picton, why not leave i them there, and not in a manner of ■ speaking, force them to Blenheim, ] where it would cost them more for . treatment. If the Board-did not wish 4to maintain the hosnital,., then closo ' it. Bo challenged them to shut it,

and'they would see what the district would do.

Mr Riddell: We're trembling. Mr Weaver said the Havelock Committee did not want to force amalgamation. They wanted severance. Mr Bragg reiterated his statement that patients had been encouraged to go to Blenheim. The Chairman thought it time the' discussion stopped, seeing the tone it was taking. Dr Williams would now 'have a fair idea of how things were, and he (the Chairman) thought the doctor would carry on the institution without indulging in any party spirit. If they left the question over in ihe meantime, they might all come to a. more amicable understanding. Dr AVilliams was asked to come before the Board in order to improve matters, and not to cause a disruption. He< would understand that. A good deal was to be left to the doctor's judgment in the matter of moving on patients when ready to be moved. The matter then dropped in the meantime. GENERAL. It was decided to have the Picton Hospital re-painted, and a sub-com-mittee was appointed to arrange specifications and deal with the tenders. Tenders for supplies were considered, and various accounts were passed for payment.