OTAGO HOSPITAL BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18511, 23 March 1922, Page 6

OTAGO HOSPITAL BOARD

The regular meeting of tfae Otago Hospital Board, hedd loafc evening, wae attended by Mr W. B, S. Knight (chairman), Meedames Moofie, Macdonald, Jackson, Messrs Talboye. Dove, Lanmch, Queloh, Rodger, and Dr Newlanda. The Director-general of Health wrote stating that tee Minister approved of the appointment of Mr Church as acting junior house surgeon. —Received. The Director-general of Health wrote that tee Minister had approved of the ' board, if necessary, incurring during the financial year commencing April 1 next, a bank overdraft which must not at any time exceed _ £15,0)0. Should tee board _at any time require to exceed this it would be necessary for it to obtain the Minister's approval. In regard to advances on account of subsidy the Minister of Finance had approved of advances being made on account of subsidy within certain limits.—Referred to Finance Committee to act. The Director-general of Health, writing ag to the department’s intention to raise the fees charged to patients at its institutions, strongly urged upon every board to adopt the same Male, and so bring about a "uniform charge approximating to some extent the average cost of maintenance at the various hospitals in the dominion. The charge recommended was 9s per diem, or £3 5s per week, with a reduction to half rates in the case of children under 12 years of age, and members of friendly societies whoso fees were guaranteed by their lodge. —Dr Newlands stated that this would catch a number of patients who were quit© able to pay. Otherwise there would be no hardship.—The suggestion was approved. The Director-general of Health wrote that the Minister had directed teat an Order in Council should be prepared providing for the payment by the Otago Board to the South Otago Board of £13,958 in six-monthly instalments, due respectively on September 1, 1922; March 31 and September 1, 1925; and March 51 and September 1, 1924; and March 31. 1925. He wan directed to state that the Government would, on the same dates, pay half the amount of such instalments to the Otago Board. It would be necessary to take this into consideration in preparing the board’s estimates.—The secretary was instructed to draw the department’s attention to the payments extending over thro© years in place of four years. . . - Mrs S. Evans Hicks wrote resigning her position as chairwoman of tee Ladies’ Bene volent Advisory Committee.—Accepted with regret, the Advisory Committee to appoint a chairwoman. . , . Mr Arthur A. Reid wrote resigning his position as book-keeper in the stores department.—Accepted; applications to be invited for the position. Finance Committee *° Messrs Mondy,' Stephens, Monro, and Stephens wrote forwarding a copy of the will of the late Bessie F. Hume, and advising a bequest to the board of one-seventh share in the residuary estate towards the upkeep of a bed in the Hospital for patients suffering from heart disease. Ihe amount available would bo disclosed when the estate was administered,—Received. - The Registrar of tee University of Otago wrote asking the board to reconsider the amount of its subsidy towards the Demtai School. — Finance Committee to report The hon. medical staff suggested that, m view of Dr Cotterell’s experience and previous service, his name be added to those of Drs Carswell and Ross as an hon. assistant ophthalmic surgeon.—Referred to the Hospital Committee to report; the previous sub-oommittee to confer with representatives of the University Council and report to the Hospital Committee. Miss K. MTndoe was appointed sister at the Dunedin Hospital, the appointment oi two junior house surgeons for the same institution being referred to the Hospital Committee for report. ■ Mr Queloh moved the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report, and said that local authorities would probably again be asked to find £45,000, in which was included £SOOO for capital and the contribution to the South Otago Board. It would not be possible to carrv on for less, if the same standard of efficiency was to be maintained. Nothing was allowed for any emergency such as an epidemic. Air Dove said he could not agree with »the chairman of the Finance Committee •when be said thev would require as much this vear as thev did last year to carry on. 'He was satisfied that they wore going to save more than £IOOO in coal alone. Then, the contract prices for stores had gone down considerably, and meat was down. Tne only article that was up was milk, and as to wages they had given practically no increase Wages" remained the same as last Jear.i —(The Chairman: Outside nurse-.. Continuing, Mr Dove said that local bodies "would be asking why they were to pay tho same amount of levy when wages bad not gone!’ up and the cost of things hud gone {ipWEL The’Chairman said he thought ratepayers might shake hands with themselves on the fact that the rate was not going up, anu was not greater this year than last year. . Mr Quelch said that if they wanted to bring the levy down, the only way it could bo done was by “trimming” the Hospital, and they woula have to “trim 1 it a lot. He pointed out that there was no capital provided for in last year’s estimates, and that this year they were called upon to pay a levy to the South Otago Board, which they were not required to do last year. Again, this year they would not have soldiers’ fees coming in, and there would be a lot of patients in the hospital that would not be able to pay their fees. The Lawrence Hospital was going to cost a lot more than it had done before, and they had also Middlemarch to consider. They must remember that they had to keep up a staff apd Jn&e everything ready for patients, the number of which they could not foresee. He did not think £45.000 yvas going to bo overmuch. , Dr Neivlands pointed out that they could not afford to yvait much longer for the opening of the children’s ward. That yvas a direction in which they had saved money at great inconvenience to the hospital and to patients. The reason for not opening it had been to save the nursing staff and the board’s finances. The motion for the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report was then put and agreed to.