Hospital Affairs

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7470, 22 May 1934, Page 10

Hospital Affairs

MEETING OF BOARD. The Palmerston North Hospital Board met in Palmerston North vcstci day. Present: Messrs. .T. K. ITortiblow (chairman), 0. McElroy, D. Collis, J. Boyce, J. Ilodgens, A. E. Mansford, L. T. McLean, P. J. Ryder, AV. Howeil, At. A. Moody, G. P. Catley, A'. E. Smith, G. A. Monk and IL L. C. Aitchison. ■ Swimming Baths. The Minister of Health advised that it was not. possible to allocate art union funds for the purpose of a swimming baths for nurses at the hospital. The chairman said the board had no power to use its own funds for swimming baths and the Minister s attitude was extraordinary. Thanks Returned. Mr. Edward Tester wrote conveying thanks for treatment received at the hospital. Similar letters were received from Mrs. E. L. Christian (in respect of her late husband) and Mr. A. C. Euist (Fcilding). General. The Director-General of Health advised that two institutions at AVaipawa had been certified as charitable institutions for the purposes of the Hospital Act. Dr. Hugh Short (Wellington) wrote accepting appointment as consulting physician at Otaki Sanatorium. Nursing Services at Otaki. The chairman explained that nothing further would be done until after a meeting of departmental officers which was being called to discuss the nursing services in the southern end of the district. On the motion of Mr. Howell, seconded by Air. Aitchison, it was decided to recommend that the board inform the Department that if Hie present. arrangements regarding nursing services at Otaki are to continue the board will not bo prepared to pay the Department this year the amount of £SO towards the cost of same. Earthquake Damage. Following on the Director-General of Health's communication, Messrs. Turner and Gayford, of the Public AA'orkj Department, visited and submitted a report on the Nurses’ Home and the Old People’s Homo buildings. It war, decided to have two separate chimney stacks erected in place of the one arched stack at present in use at the Old People’s Home as this would make the building safer in the event of a major shake. New Appointments. Ministerial approval of the appointment of Dr. Short as consulting physician at Otaki Sanatorium was received. Ministerial approval of the appointment of Dr. Gillies as radiologist was also received. The managing-secretary reported that he had communicated with Dr. Gillies and arrangements had been made for her to visit the factory of Messrs. Newton and Wright, the makers of this board’s X-ray plant, before she left for New' Zealand. Liquor at Hospital. In connection with the communication received from the general secretary- of the New' Zealand Alliance regarding the consumption of alcoholic liquors in public hospitals, it was agreed that a statement covering the quantity of the various liquors be supplied for the purposes of the medical section of the world conferences on alcoholism. Discharged Prisoners. The report of the Social AVclfaro Committee was adopted. The committee recommended that the board bring before the Hospital Boards’ Association the position which arose when the Justice Department failed to return prisoners to their town of residence on discharge from prison. Teeth For Relief AVorkers. It was recommended that the board continue its present policy regarding the supply of dental plates to relief workers. A’arious aspects of this matter were discussed by the committee, and the conclusion arrived at was that it was a very much more satisfactory arrangement to continue as at present than to consider the establishment o> a dental clinic at the hospital. It- was pointed out that other boards were losing as much as £IOOO a year on account of dental departments. It was unanimously recommended that the board provide the sum of £IOOO for charitable aid expenditure for the ensuing year. Rations Issued. The Social AA’clfarc Officer (Mr. A\ . 11. J. AVatson) reported that during March 575 rations had been issued to 52 cases (51 in Palmerston North), as against 122 rations to 00 eases in March, 1033. During April 15S rations were issued to 05 eases (10 in lalmciston North), as against 411 rations to 02 eases in April, 1033. Relief AVork. Since the last ordinary meeting uf the board the executive committee inspected the work on the stopbank at Awapuni and since the date of that visit the work has continued to progress satisfactorily. The men on the stopbank work in common with others have been placed on sustenance for one w;cek in four, the managing-secretary (Mr. A. J. Pbillipps) reported. He Had received a protest from the men in this connection. As regards further work for relief labour, now that there was apparently no work available at the hospital, the number of relief workeis employed by- the board has had to be reduced. With the approval of the Social AVelfarc Committee, however, he

had arranged for reading work to commence at the Old People’s Home. Nurses’ Home. The hoard had before it the Public Works Department report on the stability of tho Nurses’ Home against earthquake. The general impression, of the investigators aft or a careful inspection was that it was a well-built structure offering considerable resistance to earthquake. Except for the chimneys, no parts should fall even in a comparatively severe shock. Certainly the reduction in height or removal of the chimneys was to be recommended, otherwise, extensive strengthening was not warranted. They would not have it thought that an earthquake of the intensity of that at Hawke s Bay Mould not damage this building considerably, but they did not believe that even under such extreme forces there would be great danger to human Jile from major collapse. Patients in Hospital. The report of the medical superintendent (Dr. F. G. Ward) revealed that the daily average number of occupied beds was 195.9 during April. Patients admitted during tho same month numbered 250, while 223 were discharged' and 11 had died. There were 205 in the hospital at, the end of the month, including live scarlet fever cases and one of diphtheria.