HOSPITAL BOARD REPORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18380, 19 October 1921, Page 8

HOSPITAL BOARD REPORTS

Following aro summaries of the reports to be submitted at next meeting of the Otagoy Hospital Board;

Tho Benevolent Committee reports having dealt with 55 cases for relief at a weekly cost of £2l 2s, and casual cases for relief amounting to £432 19s 7d, have been approved. During tho past/ month 14 persons have been admitted and seven discharged from the Otago Benevolent Institution. At present 164 inmates remain. A letter of thanks has been sent to Mrs Evans for a donation of parcel of ladies’ left-off clothing. The Sanatorium Committee reports that the Wallace and Fiord Board has applied for tho admission of a patient to the Pleasant Valley Sanatorium, and that boarl has been advised that the Otago Board is unable to receive female patients from outside districts at the present time, and suggests that ether arrangements be' made for her accommodation.

The Hospital Committee recommends that Mr G. M‘Lean be appointed acting junior house surgeon, Dunedin Hospital, to March 31, 1922. Tho committee reports that the Massage Committee recommends as follows: That a massage student during the first throe months other practical hospital course treat patients not more than two hours per day, and during the remainder of her course not more than four hours a day. This has been approved and forwarded to the Direc-tor-General. Tho committee reports that during tho month of September three patients have been admitted to, four discharged from ; and four patients remain in the fever hospital. Letters of thanks have been sent to the following for their donations to the Dunedin Hospital:—Dunedin Hospital Guild, the Rev. Mr Perkins, Balcluthn, Miss Littlejohn, .uilton, Mr Algie, and ■Mr Olsen, 53 Falcon street. , The Finance Committee recommends that the drier of tho Port Chalmers Borough Council to allow that portion of Wickliffo terrace, from Ajax road to the Sawyers’ Bay road with the plantation, to be enclosed within the Cottage Hospital grounds at a rental of Is per annum, be accepted. That Mr and Mrs J. Foster be appointed (i married couple at tho "Louisa Roberts” ■Hospital, Middlemareh. The' committee further recommends that Mr Walker’s resignation as a member of the committee be accepted, and Mr A. Robertson be appointed, and that Mr Robert Walker be secretary. The committee advises the approval of the following rules in respect of maternity foes to be charged in, country hospitals, and also tho following rules as to the duties of district nurses in similar hospitalsln the case of ordinary hospital patients in the maternity wards of the country hospitals, the maintenance rate be the same as,at the Dunedin Hospital, to be reducible in accordance with tho. patients’ moans. That the medical officer in charge of the maternity ward be permitted to charge his ordinary fee to maternity patients able to pay the same. In the case of those unable to pay the medical officer’s fee, the medical officer will attend tho same as part of his ordinary hospital work for which he is paid a salary. Under the authority of the . Hospital Board, the local committee is empowered to permit the. medical officer to requistion the services of the nurse (when her hospital duties permit) in attending outside oases in charge of the medical officer. The scale of fees for the services of the nurse acting as district nurse will be as follows:—There, is no charge for indigent persons. For such as can afford to pay a maximum charge of £1 Is be made for assisting at any operation, and for visiting patients in their own homes, a charge of 3s per day (duration not exceeding one hour). For such as. cannot afford to pay, in whole or part, the patient will forward the financial circumstances to the secretary of the board to enable an investigation to be made, and the matter dealt with by the Finance Committee. The hospital nurse is not to undertake a duty when a patient can afford to pay a private nurse and such a one is available. The committee recommends that a maternity hospital bo erected at Palmerston, and that be- granted to invito applications for a site suitable for the purpose. The committee recommends that the following annual grants be approved;—St. John Ambulance Association, £250; Otago University Dental School, £400; Otago University Pathological and Bacteriological, £650. Letters of thanks have been sent to the following for their donations to the Wa'kari Hospital:—Mr Harper, Mr Bernard (per M. G. Ferguson), Mr Movnihan (Middlemareh). Mrs Greenslade, the Otago Soldiers’ Welfare Committee. and the Red Cross Society., The plan of the proposed Roxburgh Hospital has been returned with suggested amendments thereto and the architect’s report, thereon has been submitted. The committee resolved that the matter be hold over for consideration in March, 1922, and that copy of the architect’s report be forwarded to the department and to the Roxburgh Hospital Committee. Tho latter has been asked for its views of the suggestion to appoint a district nurse pending the erection of hospital.- The thanks of the board have been convoyed to the members of tho honorary medical staff for a donation of the sum of £SO. Authority Has been granted to expend the suni of £IOO in improvements to the grounds of the Dunedin Hospital, and the head gardener has boon instructed, to arrange for the employment of suitable men. Authority his been granted to pay the sum of £BS ,19s 8d to the Department of Health, being balance on account .of purchase of radium and exchange, insurance, and cost of cable in connection therewith. Intimation has been received from the Department of Defence, Wellington, regarding payment of increased increments in respect of military “ service ” patients » the Dunedin Hospital in the following terms: — " This matter has been referred to both the Paymaster-general and the C. and A. General, who state that there is nothina' to warrant .such an increase in the .scale of fees as that suggested. The position, if the increase wore granted, would amount to an increase in subsidy, for which there is no warrant. Your board is, the only one which has made such a claim on the Government, and I regret your wishes in this matter cannot be acceded to. In the meantime the secretary has been authorised to reply thereto.