SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITALS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21025, 14 May 1930, Page 14

SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITALS.

MONTHLY BOARD MEETING. The monthly meeting of the South Otago Hospital Board was held yesterday, and wns > attended by Messrs J. Clark (in the chair), A. King, A. Rennie. J. W. Fenton, W. J. M'Kenzie, W, S. Thomson, J. Christie, G, D. Hunter, E. King, D. M'Grcgor, and H. A. Brough. CORRESPONDENCE. Notification was received from the Director-general of Health (Dr T. H. A. Valintine) that the appointment of Dr Beryl Lawrence as resident house surgeon at Balclutha Hospital had been approved. —Received. The Director general of Health wrote approving of the board’s capital expenditure for the current year, with the exception of the amount allotted for T.B. shelters at Balclutha Hospital, which he considered should be held over. He would consider the matter when he next visited the district, and if he thought it necessary provision could be made in the estimates for the nest financial year.—Received. Tht medical superintendent, Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer, notified that the following beds were available: —Service, 9; civilian, 20; female, nil. —Received. Mr E. Cannons (secretary of the New Zealand Hospital Board’s Association) forwarded a circular letter from the New Zealand branch of the B.M.A. protesting against the efforts of chiropractors to secure X-ray services through public hospitals, and asking the board to uphold the objection.—lt was decided to support the objection. PART-TIME MEDICAL OFFICERS. In accordance with previous notice of motion, Mr Fenton moved—“ That Drs Radclifie and Prengley be given three months’ notice of the termination of their services as part-time superintendent and part-time deputy superintendent respec tively of the Balclutha Hospital.” Mr Fenton said that he was convinced that the present method was not beneficial to their hospital, whereas everything ran very smoothly when they had a full-time superintendent. When Dr Biggs asked to be allowed to open a private consulting room in Balclutha the board refused his request, and it was therefore hard to reconcile its action in adopting the present system. He thought that by appointing the two doctors as it had done the board had taken a retrograde step and had rerluced its status. Mr E, King seconded the motion pro forma. He did not agree with the mover that the present system of having a parttime superintendent and peputy superintendent was a retrograde step. On the contrary, he congratulated the board on having adopted it, and considered that it was in the beat interests of the institutions under its control. Mr M'Gregor opposed the motion, and said that hospital policy was discussed recently at a conference of representatives of the various hospital boards, the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, the New Zealand branch of the Australasian College of Surgeons, and the Department of Health. The conference affirmed an opinion expressed at a. former conference, namely, that hospitals had a definite duty in regard to post-graduate courses for medical men outside the hospitals for the sake of the health of the community. Among other recommendations, the conference also submitted for the consideration of hospital boards one which advocated that the medical attendance on patients should be in the hands of a visiting staff with the assistance of a requisite number of resident medical officers. It was also recommended that the boards _ must determine the numbers of their visiting staffs, but that in arriving at a decision they should, consistent with the convenience and the smooth running of their institutions, appoint as many as possible of the medical practitioners residing in the district. He contended that this was substantially the administrative arrangement recently effected between the South Otago Board and Drs Radcliffe and Frengley and approved of by the Director of Health. By putting the new system into practice they had virtually forestalled the official proclamation. Mr Christie said he considered that Mr Fenton was partly right, but a one-man hospital was a danger to the community. He would like to see a system whereby a paid medical staff acted in conjunction with the local medical practitioners. Mr Hunter, as the mover of the motion that the present system should be adopted, said that now it was in proper working order he had no reason to believe that the board had acted other than wisely in making the change. The motion was lost, only the mover voting for it. Mr Fenton also moved—" That the board advertise for a full-time medical superintendent at a salary of £BOO per annum, rising to £IOOO in three years,” but the motion lapsed for want of a seconder, A further motion—“ That, should the board retain the services of Drs Radcliffe and Frengley, their salaries be reduced from £450 and £250 to £250 and £l5O respectively,” which was also moved by Mr Fenton, met with a similar fate, several _ members characterising his action in bringing the motions forward as a waste of the board’s time. Mr Fenton then gave notice that he would move at the next meeting—“ That, as the South Otago Hospital Board has vetoed its powers by adopting the policy of appointing a part-time superintendent and deputy superintendent in place of a superintendent, it dissolve in accordance with the Act and amalgamate with the Otago Board.” FREE HOSPITAL TREATMENT. Mr Christie moved, in accordance with notice of motion previously given—“ That the secretary submit a return showing how much would be necessary for each adult to contribute annually to enable free treatment to be given to all residents within the South Otago Hospital district. —Mr Rennie seconded the motion.—Mr Christie considered that the advantages of the scheme were very obvious, and if it were adopted it would save the board having to discriminate who should pay and who should not. He could not say what levy per individual would be necessary or how it could be collected, but he thought some scheme could be evolved. The chairman pointed out that one difficulty would be to get legislation passed, as they would get no subsidy on the amount collected. The scheme, however, was quite a good one. Mr M'Gregor: It is really an extension of the friendly societies’ scheme. It was decided that the secretary be instructed to obtain and submit to the board the necessary information. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. The- medical superintendent submitted the following statistics for the month of April:— Bose Hospital.—Admissions, 41; discharges, 39; remaining on May 1, 38. Miltou Hospital.—Admissions, 15; discharges, 16; remaining on May 1, 9. Owaka Hospital.—Admissions. 15; discharges, 7; remaining on May 1, 8. Kaitangata Hospital.—Admissions. 6; discharges, 5; remaining on May 1 2-out-patients, 3. The report was adopted. FINANCE. The treasurer (Mr W. Roy) reported that receipts for April amounted to £1716 2s 9d, and expenditure from April 1 to May 13. £3276 la 4d, On April 1 there was a credit balance of £1123 14s Od, so that at date the debit balance amounted to £436 4s Id.—The report was received.