WAIKATO HOSPITAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18942, 13 February 1925, Page 12

WAIKATO HOSPITAL.

MEETING OF THE BOARD, J the te kuiti institution. TENDERS TO BE CALLED SOON. [BY TELEGRAPH.' —-OWN COERESPONIIEM.] HAMILTON. Thursday. The Waika,tr> Hospital Board mot this morning, the chairman, Mr. J. P. Bailey, presiding. With reference to tho proposed hospital at To Kuiti, the board's architect, Mr. J. W. Warren, stated that ho had interviewed the department in Wellington and had boeii informed that there would bo no difficulty in tho matter. Ono or two alterations had been agreed upon in regard to tho isolation wards, but there wa3 nothing to prevent tho board from going straight ahead. Tenders would bo called for as soon as tho working plans were completed. Tho chief difficulty was that of obtaining an adequate water supply. Tho To Kuiti Borough Council had offered to put in a pipo and that would bo sufficient for temporary purposes. Mr. A. Blackmail said that the council had been asked to put in a four-inch main, but for financial reasons the request had not been acceded to. The council was, however, ready to do all in its power to assist the board. The matter was left in tho hands of the chairman, and Messrs. Blackman, Lee, and the secretary with power to act. During the month of January, 146 male and 110 female patients were admitted to the Waikato Hospital. The deaths during January numbered 15, and 114 male and 72 female patients were discharged leaving 116 male and 86 female inmates on January 31. The daily average was 164. The ' number of operations performed was 122. Reference was made by Mr. A. E. Webb to the road over the hill to the hospital, which, he said, the Waipu County was preparing to temporarily patch. He suggested that as the road was purely a hospital ono the board should lay a permanent surface. If it took the matter up all the local bodies concerned would have to pay their share. Mr. Alexander said that the matter was to be further discussed by the borough engineer and tho Waipa County officials and it was likely that a satisfactory settlement would be arrived at. The chairman did not think the board could start making public roads. There was no saying where that might end. It was "decided to obtain a report on the position in regard to the road. The Health Department requested the board to take over the liability (£96 15s) owing by a patient of the \Vaikato district in tho Queen Mary's Hospital at Hanmer. The secretary said that if the board guaranteed the payment of an account it invariably met the liability. In this case no guarantee had been given, and it was the responsibility of the department that the account had been left to accumulate. It had been recently de- i cided by the department not to accept ! any further cases unless the board guar- ! an teed the liabilities incurred. Mr. C. E. Webb remarked that the case was that of a man who had been prominent in Hamilton, and ho thought tho board should do anything in its power to assist. _ He moved that tho board pay one-third of the account. Mr. Conradi said that naw a guarantee had been decided upon the matter was best left alone in a case where tho department could not enforce payment. _lt was decided not to accept any liability. THE HOSPITAL 110 AD. BOROUGH COUNCIL'S ATTITUDE. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] HAMILTON. Thursday. The Waipa County Council recently decided to make temporary repairs to the hill road leading to the Hamilton Hospital unless the Hamilton Borough Council agreed to meet part of the cost of a permanent road surface. The County Council maintained that the road was chiefly used by Hamilton ratepayers. The lan« in , the locality was not returning any rates. Tho Mayor of Hamilton, at the Borough Council meeting last evening, mover; that, a committee, consisting of Messrs. P. H. Watts, A. E. Webb and himseif, meet the County Council with a view to coming to some suitable arrangement. The Borough Council had made a good road as far as the borough boundars-. Mr. P. H. Watts said he was strongly opposed to the borough taking any part in the work. It seemed entirely wrou* in principle that work should be done at. the expense of the borough to relieve tho ratepayers of the county. Mr. J. McKinnon said that morally thp road should be repaired by the Borough Council. At least 90 per cent, of the traffic came from Hamilton. Mr. A. J. Denz agreed with Mr. McKinnon as to the moral obligation to maintain a good road. It was suggested by Mr. A. E. Webb that the work should be done by tho Hospital Board. If the board footed tho bill the expenditure would be proportionately allocated among all the local bodies concerned. That was a fairer proposition to both county and borough. Tho road in question was so exclusively used by vehicles travelling to the hospital that it might almost be considered as a private road. Mr. 0. R. Farrer agreed with Mr. Webb. The Mayor's motion was carried. The tender of the Waikato Valley Dairy Company for the supply of butter to the Waikato Hospital was accepted. The price was Is 4d and Is 3d a lb for first grade and second grade respectively, less Id alb discount. Tho only other tender was that of tho New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd., Is 4d and Is 3d net.