HELP FOR THE SICK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19721, 22 August 1927, Page 11

HELP FOR THE SICK.

HOSPITAL AUXILIARY. PROMISING WORK BEGUN. PATIENTS AND 'FAMILIES. Charitable people have long been doing what they can to lighten the burdens of poor and lonely patients in the Auckland Hospital, an? the institutions connected with it, but until lately the work has not been upon anything like a proper scale. The deficiency was pointed out last year by the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, in an address to the Auckland Rotary Club. Sir Charles praised very highly the work of the Hamilton Sunshine League at the Waikato Hospital and recommended Aucklanders to set up a similar body. In consequence'the Auckland Hospital auxiliary has been formed. There are, on an average, over 600 patients in the Auckland Hospital, to say nothing of the inmates of the infirmary at Epsom. The majority of these people are the sick poor, and although the Hospital Board and the medical and nurs* ing staffs do all that is humanly possible, there is urgent need of such an organisation as the hospital auxiliary. As the result of careful planning, the work of the hospital auxiliary has been divided into a number of departments, which act in co-operation. The investigation committee tries to find out cases of need and arranges for visitors for patients who have no friends. The social workers of the city are in charge of this committee. The depot committee has been granted a small building in the hospital grounds. The entertainment committee organises concerts and other entertainments for the funds of the auxiliary. The city sewing committee has commenced work. The distribution committee gives out | garments to be made at home. The collecting committee, is preparing for a street collection. Two committees are giving their time and the use of their cars for the benefit of patients. One takes patients home and the other arranges excursions and drives. The "sunshine" committee is composed of girls, who give three hours a day to help to amuse the babies in the children's ward, and also visit patients on alternate Sundays, distributing sweets and cigarettes. The library committee is arranging an appeal for books in a week or two. The wireless committee aims at having every bed equipped with headphones, which would be a boon to many a patient. Branches of the auxiliary have been formed in several suburbs. The Onehunga branch has taken entire charge of work at the Auckland Infirmary. The Mount Eden branch is to hold a public meeting on Wednesday for the purpose of enlisting the help of ladies in that district. Branches at Takapuna and Devonport will begin work shortly. For the past 17 years there has been in existence an Auckland Hospital Patients' and Families' Fund Association and an earnest band of workers have been carrying out similar functions to those contemplated by the auxiliary. This body has depended almost entirely on a street collection for funds, and as the City Council could not grant two collections for the one obiect, the association has given way to the larger organisation, and it is hoped that with success the auxiliary will be able to hand a goodly sum from the street' collection to the other workers.