HOSPITAL NEEDS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 117, 18 April 1939, Page 9

HOSPITAL NEEDS

MAINTENANCE EXPENDITURE

DETAILS OE REQUIREMENTS.

ALiintenance estimates totalling £114.850 Is Od, and capital estimates totalling £15.221 2s 4d. were adopted l>y the Palmerston Xortli Hospital Hoard, yesterday afternoon. Details of most of the items, with the notes of the managing-secretary (Mr A. J. Phillipps) sue as follow: MATNTENANCE It EC LIFTS. Voluntary contributions and bequests.—Estimate last year, £SO; actual receipts, £ll 7s Gd ; proposed estimate. nil. During recent years we h.'i.ve received only small amounts in the way of voluntary contributions apart from donations towards the Christmas fund and these are placed in the patients’ comforts fund account from which such expenditure is met. Some years ago we were accustomed to receive small bequests, but such are very rare nowadays. Consequently, as an item of receipts 1 do not think wo (should estimate anything from this source this year.

Patients’ payments, including foes received for Palmerston North Hospital and Qtnki Hospital.—Estimate last year, £15,000: actual receipts. £10,924 4s 9d ; proposed estimate, £16.000. Patients’ payments (Otaki Sanatorium). —Estimate last year, £11,000; actual receipts, £12.308 Is lOd; proposed estimate. £12,500. Awapuni Home patients’ payments and inmates’ fees, etc. — Estimate last year, £3000; actual receipts, £3490 13s lOd ; proposed estimate. £SOOO. Bacteriological laboratory Ices. —Estimate hist year, £1200; actual receipts, £940 12. s lOd; proposed estimate, £I2OO.

Awapuni farm receipts. —Estimate last year, £200; actual receipts, £192 19s; proposed estimate, £IOO. Those are receipts from grazing fees and sales of surplus produce from the farm at Awapuni. Miscellaneous receipts. Estimate las't year, £050; actual receipts, £OOS 19s 2d; proposed estimate, £OOO. This item allows for receipts from all sources other than the pro-mentioned sources. Tt is. of course, an item which varies considerably from year to year, but it seems reasonable to estimate about £OOO from this source tin’s year. . MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS.

Dank overdraft,. Estimate last year. £9728 10s 2d; actual payments, £9728 10s 2d; proposed estimate, nil. We have for some years had an overdraft in our maintenance account and now that we have met our liability to the bank we are in a position, despite increasing cosU and increasing hospital activity, to make some reduction in our levies.

Palmerston North. Hospital and Afaternitv Home maintenance. —Estimate last year, £63.220; actual payments, 004 425 16s; proposed estimate, £67,900. . . Domestic and establishment.—Domestic and establishment expenditure includes expenditure on fuel and light, painting and maintenance of buildings and renewals and repairs to hardware, linen, etc., and includes maintenance of the laundry and grounds. Expenditure under this heading has been as follows during the past thro years: 1936-37. £13.567; 1937-38, £14,835; 1938-39, £15,153. Miscellaneous expenditure covers chiefly insurance premiums and in this connection it is interesting to note that the Employees’ Accident policy at present costs this board £230 per annum and the public risk policycosts £9O per annum. Otaki maternity homo maintenance: Estimate last year, £1,980; actual payments, £2,381 8s 7d; proposed estimate, £2,400. During the past year we have had difficulty in satisfactorily staffing the Otaki Hospital. Awapuni Home maiijtcnance: Estimate last year, £6,800; actual payments, £6,434 4s 9d; proposed estimate, £6.900.

Charitable relief: Estimate last year. £3,600; actual payments, £2,890; proposed estimate, £2,100. District nursing: Estimate last year, £3,200; actual payments, £3,5-19 11s 2d ; proposed estimate, £3,800.

Otaki Sanatorium maintenance: Estimate last year, £11.000; actual payments, £12,848 Is; proposed estimate, £12,500. Administration: Estimate last year, £3,700; actual payments, £3,852 3s 4d; proposed estimate, £4OOO. The increase necessary in the estimate for administration expense this year is due to the fact that practically the

wliole of the office staff is under an award whereby scale increments are given each year until they reach certain maxima.

Maintenance of patients in other institutions. —Estimate last year, £4500; actual payments, £5017 19s 8d; proposed estimate, £SOOO. Interest, on loans. —Estimate last year, £4200; actual payments, £3600 15s s<l; proposed estimate, £4OOO. The excess of the estimate last year was due to tlie fact that we did not uplift loan moneys during the year to the extent which was anticipated when the estimates were prepnrod. The uplifting of these loan moneys has been allower for this year but it is not necessary to make the same provision for interest on bank overdraft ; consequently, the estimate is lower than the estimate lor last year.

Board's contribution to National Provident Fund. —Estimate last year, £900: actual payments. £750 13s Od ; proposed estimate, £BOO. Refund lo Government to adilist subsidy.—Estimate last year. £IOB3 19s 7cl ; actual payments. £IOB3 19s 7d; proposed estimate. £l9-)0 Is Od. T his is a statutory refund. It is neeessary «o that the average subsidy which in accordance with the department s published figures was over £ lor £ last year is reduced by refunds to the £ for £ average. Awapuni farm maintenance. —Estimate 1 ast year, £1300: actual payments, £1793 2s 7d ; proposed estimate. £llOO.

Miscella neons payments. —Eskimo to last year. £300; actual payments, £228 10s -id ; proposed estimate, £250. This item provides a contingency fund to meet am- unforeseen mantenancc payments which mav arise.

Otaki "ambulance.—Estimate last - year. £600; actual payments. £7OB -12 s 3d; proposed estimate. £7OO. Palmerston North ambulance service.—Estimate last year. £800: actual payments. £865 4s 9d; proposed estiI mate, £llsO. 1 CAPITAL EXPENDITURE. Draught shields lor Wilson Blocks (£SO). —This item was previously pro--3 vided for but was held over until such time as tho Wilson Block floors had 1 ben reconditioned. 1 lte-roofing Medical Superintendent’s

i House (£7O). —This amount was previously provided for this work. The work i was postponed but he re-roofing is still . necessary. Improvements to building at mam kitchen block, Palmerston North llosb pital (£2so).—This item was originally ’ provided to enable an alteration to he ’ made to tie entrance to the kitchen J from the main corridor to provide better housing accommodation lor food ’ t, rollers and to enable the trolleys to ' he brought right into the main kitchen. ’ Though 1 do not consider that the pre--1 sent kitchen can without substantial alterations servo the . institution. ior many more years, 1 think that this ex--5 pemiiture at the present time is essen- ’ tial. The food service for the new isolation hospital will have to come irom the present kitchen pending further im-

provements. Improved heated service table, main kitchen (£lso).—This item depends on the preceding item. Until alterations to the building are done it is not possible to instal this- new service table. Children’s Ward (£300). The amount spent on the children s ward for the year 1938-39 amounted to £4839 It is necessary to provide a further £3OO to complete tins work. This total is still approximately £SUU below the lowest of the tenders winch

were before the board last year. Children’s Ward equipment (£100). ]n putting forward last year’s estimates I under-estimated the cost ot some of tho items for the children s Ward equipment. /owin'. Additional surgical instruments (LiJb) .This is in the nature of a commitment from 1938-39, certain instruments which have been ordered Irom overseas having not arrived beiore the end oi the financial year. , Portable X-rav plant (£32o).—An amount of £3OO was provided on last year’s estimates for this work. Jhe ascertained cost is £325 and as the account had not been paid before March 31 this amount is being brought lor-

ward to this year’s estimates. Stereoscopic outfit ior X-ray Department. (£110).—The same remarks ap-

ply to this as apply to the preceding call system (£145).—0E the amount provided on last year s estimates (£385), £240 has been spent to March 31, and £l4o requires to brought forward and pruuded loi tins ''chart trolleys for wards (£120). Some £l2O was provided for these last year. These trolleys are on order and the amount is brought forward as

a commitment. Improvements to kitchens, Prince of Wales and Princess Mary AN art * including new dish sterilisers (£100). This amount is a commitment Irom the 1938-39 estimates and the work will he proceeding in the near future. Improvements to electric “IP 1 Princess Mary and Prince of Wales Wards (£l6o).—The same remarks apply to this as apply to the preceil-

Rel’rigerators for wards (£200). \s the ward kitchens are altered and improved, space is being provided lor refrigerators. During the past year the children's ward block and one ot the "Wilson wards have been equipped. Some £350 was provided last year; £l6O was spent and £2OO is being provided this year. Otaki Hospital building alterations (£600). —Last your £9OO was provided for improvements at the Otaki Hospital and ft total of £313 was spent. 1 have carried forward the balance ot this item this year, but whether the

amount will hs spent or not depends, of course, on the hoard’s decision on the general question of maternity accommodation. Alterations and improvements at Maternity Home (£6O). —This amount was put on the estimates last year, hut it was not possible to proceed with this work. A further provision is being made below on these estimates and it is proposed to effect considerable improvements to certain service rooms at the maternity home. 1 This £6O will lie part of the expenditure and another £l4O has been pro- i vided subsequently in these estimates, i making a total of £2OO. . 1 New morgue trolley (£2O). — 1 Ins is in the nature of a commitment from last year’s estimates. Additional cooking equipment at Palmerston North Hospital (£765). Massage department equipment

(£400). . . 1 X-rav department, additional equipment (£llo).—This amount is asked for to enable a modern type of filmchanging device to be installed at the i X-ray department. . 1 Medical Superintendent’s . house t (£475). —This amount is a commitment < for additions to this building. The t board recently authorised this work. £

Improvements to Wilson I >' ’ * £2OO- improvements to W ilson .11 i Ward £200; dosing in balcony at A\ il- t eon IT AVard, £120; improvements to i 1> At Ward £2-10: improvements to s V’W. Ward. £240. The foregoing items arc all covered J>v the authority which c the hoard gave recently to spend an- i proximatcly £IOOO on improving the t accommodation for certain types of t cases at present being housed ill the 1 Hospital. Fire prevention facilities t

(£150). New ambulance (£470). —This is in the nature of a commitment. The chassis has been purchased and it is hoped to have this ambulance in use next month.

Maternity Home improvements (£120). —This has been mentioned previously and is supplementary to the item of £6O carried forward from iast year.

Reading work (£240). —This amount is provided to enable the reconstruction of the main drive .adjacent to the end of the new laundry' building and improved surface water drainage in that area, and also to enable the grass plot between the present administration block and the engine-room to l>e extended over the area which is no longer required as roadway. Tennis courts (£200). —This is in the nature of a commitment. These courts have now boon finished.

Administration block, papering and improvements (£200). —'When this block was first erected the question of painting of walls and papering of certain rooms was held over unfit such time as small surface cracks ceased and tlie plaster was in a condition to receive attention.

District Nurses’ cars (£000). —-It is proposed to replace two of the existing district nurses’ cars this year. Tlie old cars will be reconditioned —one for use at Otaki sanatorium and one for use at the Awapuni Home. Additional ward equipment (£2-10). —Tn connection with tlie closing in of certain balconies and verandahs, we are going to he short of stools, lockers and other essential articles of equipment. Tho equipment which will he bought is such that it could later he transferred to new buildings when additional buildings are available. Additional trolleys and linen carrier stands will also be "necessary for these wards. Chart holders (75). —In connection with, the proposed new system of chart trolleys, together with the medical superintendent, T have gone into tlie question of a bettor type of equipment for the handling of medical records ill the wards and it is proposed to have a metal holder made, for the medical records in connection with each patient and those will be filed in the new chart trolleys.

Now surgical instruments (£100). — This is in accordance with the previous arrangement under which we were providing a sum of £IOO each vear to enable the requirements of the surgical staff to be mot and instruments to be kept up-to-date. Otaki Hospital ante-natal equipment (£80). —This amount is provided to enable the new ante-natal clinic at the Otaki Hospital tn be adequ.ately equipped and furnished.. Awapuni Homo, additional furnishings (£800). —This amount is provided to cover the cost of furnishing tho new maids’ quarters at Awapuni and the new nurses’ quarters at Awapuni and to enable ess'enti.al articles of furniture to be purchased for the new women’s ward.

Awapuni Home improvements to sanitnrv block adjacent to men s chronic ward (£80). Roading. tarring and sanding at Awapuni (£100). —In connection with the erection of the domestic staff quarters on the south side of tho existing main block a.t Awapuni, it is proposed to reconstruct the road in that area and to have the backyard at the home tar-sealed. Microscope for laboratory (£9O). Miscellaneous (£2OO 2s 4d). Repayment of loans and sinking fund requirements (£5750). —Last year our exnenditure on this item amounted to £4852.