WAIPIATA SANATORIUM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20400, 5 May 1928, Page 17

WAIPIATA SANATORIUM.

MEETING OF COMMITTEE. The Waipiata Sanatorium Committee met in Dunedin on Tuesday evening last, there being present Messrs J. Matheson (chairman), E. Macdonald, W. Bryant, A. Fraser. J. Clark, E. Morgan, and J. Horrell. Dr Maclean represented the Department of Health. Leave of absence absence as representative of the AshbarW. Watt, Mr Bryant acting in the latter’s was granted to Messrs J. Kitchie and F. The secretary, Mr T. Pryde, reported ton Hospital Board. The Medical Superintendent (Dr A. Kidd) reported that on April 1 there were 37 males and 43 females in the institution, all of whom, with the exception of 11 whose condition at present was : stationary, were doing well or improving. : He submitted the result of his visits to Timaru, Milton, Balclutha, and Invercargill. —The report was adopted, and the secretary was directed to ask for a confidential report on some patients whose stay in the institution had been over 18 months. On the recommendation of Matron Wilson, certain increases in salary to members of the nursing and domestic staff were granted. The secretary (Mr T. Pryde) reported on the furnishing of the new shelters for female patients now nearing completion by the Love Construction Company. He also submitted a report showing at the date of the meeting the different hospital boards had patients, in the Sanatorium as follows: —South Canterbury 21, Southland 25, Ashburton 12, Waitaki eight. South Otago six, Wallace three, Maniototo two, Vincent three Sanatorium Committee one, and . one private patient, a total of 81. Of these six had been in the Sanatorium for more than 18 months, eight for more than 12 months, and 67 for less than 12 months. He advised that since the previous meeting 12 patients had been discharged, nine with the disease arrested, two with the disease quiescent, and one much improved. He submitted a waiting list of 82 patients who had been examined by the Medican Superintendent and recommended as suitable for treatment, from the following districts: —South Canterbury 34, Southland 34. Ashburton four, Waitaki three. South Otago four, Mamo* toto three. .... , The secretary reported that in view of this large waiting list, of whoin 64 were females, the chairman (Mr Matheson) and he had interviewed the Minister of Health at Gore the previous day with a view of obtaining departmental consent to the erection of additional wooden shelters to the ends of the present building now being erected by the Construction Company for female patients. The Minister informed the deputation he was setting up a committee of expert physicians to report on the administration and treatment of patients in the diffferent Dominion sanatoria, and asked that all estimated capital expenditure for the ensuing year be held up until after this commission had reported to him, and, while the amount involved in building the extra shelters asked for was not large, he suggested that the committee stay its hand in the meantime. To expedite matters, however, the deputation urged that the Minister might give permission for the Waioiata Committee to interview the Public Works Department with a view of getting a deamte price from the contractors for the extra shelters and on the understanding that this was in no way an assurance from the department that the request would be granted, the' Minister agreed to this course, promising that he would, on his return to Wellington, interview _ the Director-general of Health, and advise. - The action of the chairman and secretary in interviewing the Minister , was approved, and further action with regard to the erection of the buildings, if departmental permission were granted, left ra their hands for attention. The Director-general of Health wrote asking that certain items in the committee’s estimates be held over until after the proposed commission had reported to the Minister.' —Received. The Chairman reported as to the amount collected for this purpose, and advised that as a result of a request made to the Minister of Health a grant of £2O had been promised towards the purchase. ' The Secretary read correspondence that had passed between himself and the Department of Health regarding the contract for boiler and laundry machinery, and his action in asking for details of the tenders received by the Public Works Department for the installation of tha plant was approved, and further action, if necessary before next meeting, was left in the hands of the chairman and secretary. - Mr E. Morgan, on behalf of the Farm Committee, reported on what had been done at the farm since last meeting. Certain fencing between the sanatorium property and adjoining owners was left in the hand 3 of the Farm Committee for attention, as was the erection of a suitable storage reservoir for the domestic water supply of the institution. The committee was also authorised to purchase a wagon for nee on the farm, while the following matters were left in the hands of the secretary to have inquiries made and report:—Cost of installing electric light in cowbyre and men's huts; electrical heating apparatus for bathrooms in new men's shelters; and the position regarding the committee's occupation of land held under miscellanetons license from the estate of the late J. B. Coram. ‘ Mr Morgan reported on the account from the Dunedin Engineering and Steel Company for extras on their pipe line contract, and the matter was left in the hands of the treasurer for attention. A number of quotations were rewived for the supply of a 30cwt motor truck, and the matter of purchasing a vehicle of British manufacture was left in the hands of the chairman, Mr Morgan, and secretary to have further inquiries made, and report. The Treasurer reported that at date of meeting there was a credit balance at the Bank of New Zealand, Invercargill, of £5423 17s 2d. He also submitted a draft copy of the committee’s annual report and statistics for the year ended March 31, 1928, wherein it was noted that the average cost per occupied bed for the past year vna £135.9. as against £139.4 for 1927, and the average days' stay per patient was 176.78, as against 208.38 the previous year. The .Treasurer submitted a full report on the farm profit and loss account, and asked for the committee’s instructions on certain matters connected therewith. He was directed to send a draft copy of the farm account to the ferm manager to check the amount of live and dead stock on hand. In view of the involved book-keeping that would be required, the committee approved of the recommendation that the garden and farming operations should be treated as one in the accounts. It was decided to hold the next meeting of the committee in Dunedin on Tuesday, May 29.