WAIKATO HOSPITAL BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8482, 5 February 1891, Page 6

WAIKATO HOSPITAL BOARD.

[by TELEGRAPH. -own correspondent.] Hamilton, Wednesday. At the meeting of the Waiikato Hospital Board to-day there were present: The chairman (Mr. Primrose), and Messrs. Clements, Brown) Coates, McPherson, McGuirk, Lang, Hanmer, Seddon, and Chepmeli. A letter was received from Mr. Sexton stating his inability to meet the demand for his son's maintenance in the hospital, also raising the question whether he was liable to pay for his son, who is 24 years of age. The Board did not consider there was any Validity in the legal question raised, but on the motion of Mr. Seddon, seconded by Mr. Clements, reduced the total debt from £62 to £31, and agreed to take 10s per week in payment, and failing payment of same that the liability in full be demanded. A letter was received from the Reefton Hospital stating that their medical officer did not receive an annual holiday, but had leave of absence on three occasions, during which period he had to provide a substitute at his own expense. The matter of Dr. Kenny's application for an annual holiday was further postponed. The ratable value of the borough of Cambridge was stated at £4407 10s. A man named Alexander Ferguson had left the hospital complaining of want of proper care being taken of him by the nurse. "Dr. Kenny wrote stating that he t had made enquiry into the complaint, and found it utterly groundless. The man is now in the Auckland Hospital being treated for erysipelas. The secretary's report ' stated that there were 17 inmates of the hospital at date, 13 men and 4 females. Twenty-five persons were receiving charitable aid. In the refuge there were eleven inmates. After to-day's payment there was a credit balance, all accounts being in, of £715 12s. The expenditure for the month amounted to £199 10s lid. The fever ward was reopened on 14th January for the reception of a case of typhoid fever from Huntly. The patient was discharged cured on the 29th. The doctor's report referred to Hyndman's case, that of the man injured in attempting to rescue the sufferers at the Huntly mine disaster as follows :—Hyndman's case is still hanging in the balance. He had not made any real advance towards recovery since his admission—the paralysis of the parts affected' being still complete. I am inclined to look unfavourably ■ upon the future of this case. I am afraid the spinal cord has been too seriously injured to recover." The Chairman then read the report of the House Committee, stating that the amount required would be for ordinary expenditure £2509, which, with the addition of JL'BOO for building, would amount to £3309 for the year 1891-92, from which must be deducted £300, the estimated credit balance on the 31st of March next, leaving the total amount at £3009. The question of the proposed new buildings was then brought forward, the Chairman stating that half of the £800 proposed to be spent was to be either . spent in providing hospital accommodation or accommodation for the nurses. The committee recommended that the money should be spent in giving additional hospital accommodation, so as to provide 12 Deds and a diningroom, leaving the old building for the use of the nurses and a storeroom. The secretary stated that the increase of patients in 1890 was 161 as against 104 in 1889, and 82 in 1888. Mr. McQuirk raised the question whether this increase was to go on. Mr. Seddon moved, " That £400 required for hospital accommodation in the £2509 general estimates be passed." Seconded by Mr. Hanmer, and carried unanimously. Mr. Clements moved, That the £400 proposed for the doctor's house be left out." This motion was seconded by Mr. Coates. Mr. Lang advocated the building of the house, and moved as an amendment, " That the £400 be added to the estimates for the doctor's house." Seconded by Mr. Primrose. Mr. McGuirk opposed the amendment as an unfair tax on the settlers. The voting was as follows :—For the amendment : Messrs. McPherson, Lang, and Primrose; against: Messrs. Chepmell, Clements, Brown, Coates, McGuirk, Seddon, and Hanmer. ■ The motion of Mr. Clements, that no doctor's residence be built, was then carried by 7 to 3, the voting being vice versa. A letter to the chairman from Dr. Kenny, was read, stating that nurses Sandison and Tyers had completed the period of training, three years, fixed by the Board, and could now claim certificates of competency, providing they pass the usual medical examination by surgeons other than the medical staff of their own hospital. Mr. Chepmell moved, and Mr. Clements seconded, a motion which was carried, instructing the secretary to ask the Auckland Hospital what was the usual method of procedure, etc. The man Chambers sent in by Mr. Rich to the Hospital, with a request that on his discharge he be received into the Refuge, was, on Mr. Brown's motion, ordered to be removed into the Refuge. Chambers is 78. The chairman stated that the beds in the Refuge would now be filled up. Two sums of 10s 6d and 4s, doctors'attendance and chemists' expenses, authorised by Mr. Hanmer to be spent in providing assistance to a man said to be dying and who died the same night, were passed for payment. At a later stage of the proceedings Mr. Chepmeli moved that the Doctor's aplication for leave being contrary to the bylaws unless he provide a substitute should not be granted. The motion was carried. Mr. T. White, of Taupiri, was appointed to prepare plans for the hospital extension.