OTAGO HOSPITAL BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22610, 29 June 1935, Page 8

OTAGO HOSPITAL BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING i The monthly meeting of the Otago | Hospital Board was held last evening, j and was attended by Messrs J. W. Dove \ (chairman), A. F. Quelch, D. M'L. anan, 11. S. Sheat, M. Silverstone, F. Jones, A. Steel, Dr Newlands, Miss Runciman, Miss Farquhar and Mrs Ross. MEMBER WELCOMED. Prior to commencing the business of the meeting, the chairman welcomed MrsRoss on her return to her seat on the \ board after her visit to the Old Country, ! and expressed the hope that such know- | ledge as she had gained of hospital affairs during her stay abroad would be duly imparted to her fellow-members. MONTHLY STATISTICS. The medical superintendent (Dr J. Thomson) submitted the following statistics for Dunedin Hospital for the month of May:—Patients remaining on I April 30, 241; admitted during May, 433; total treated, 674; discharged or died, 396; remaining at May 30, 278; operations performed, 149; out patients, 2231.—Noted. STORES ADVISORY COMMITTEE. Mrs Ross was appointed the lady member of the Stores Advisory Committee. RESTORATION OF CUT. A communication was received from the Director-general of Health advising that on account of the general financial position, restoration of part of the first general reduction in salaries and wages as decided on by the board could not j be agreed to. If the board decided to | adhere to its original decision, it was j proposed to recommend that approxim- ] ately £2773 be excluded from the net I estimated maintenance expenditure for j the current year for the purpose of determining the subsidy payable to the ' board. The chairman said he thought that the 1 board should adhere to its previous deci- j sion. Mr Quelch said that the board had . actually made the first payment of salaries and wages under the increased | scale, before advice had been received from the' department. The board had | agreed to partial restoration, and it must keep faith with its employees. It would mean that the ratepayers would have to find another £I4OO, but it was hoped that economies would be effected that would counter-act this amount and so enable the board to balance its budget. It was agreed that the board adhere to its previous decision. UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF. Mr A. Grandison, certifying officer of the Dunedin Employment Bureau, wrote advising that the Unemployment Board had no authority to provide relief either to workers or dependents of workers who had refused or had been dismissed from relief work. In view of this, the arrangement made with the Hospital Boards' Association for the provision of relief to such persons must be discontinued, and the previous arrangements whereby the workers, as a disciplinary measure, were ordered to stand down for a period reverted to. It would, of course, be the function of the hospital boards to provide relief for the dependents of such men during the period in which they had to stand down. The matter was referred to the Benevolent Committee for consideration. Mr F. O'Rorke, secretary of the Dunedin branch of the National Unemployed Workers' Movement, wrote forwarding a copy of a letter from the Minister of Employment (Mr S. G. Smith), which determined the measure of relief and sustenance which could be granted to an applicant, and copies of remits on the subject, carried at a general meeting of the unemployed held in Dunedin. An appeal had been made to all local bodies ;o support these remits. —The letter was referred to the Benevolent Committee. COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY. A letter was received from the Direc-tor-general of Health acknowledging the board's request for the" appointment of a committee of inquiry consisting of representatives of the Health and Audit Departments for the purpose of investigating the administration of the board's affairs from 1928 to the present day. The director-general asked the board to forward a statement of its grounds for desiring this special investigation, copies of specific allegations (if any) that had been made to justify such inquiry, and the names of those making the allegations.—Received. TENDER. The tender of Messrs A. and T. Burt, Ltd., for the installation of the heating system in the new administration block was accepted, at a price to be submitted to the Minister of Health for approval. ADMISSION TO HOSPITAL. A deputation representing the honorary visiting staff of Dunedin Hospital, and consisting of Dr J. B. Uawson, Dr A. Perry and Mr J. A. Jenkins, waited on the board to place before it several proposals regarding the system of admission of patients to the Hospital. After the proposals had been fully dis-. cussed in committee it was decided to defer further consideration of the matter for two months, the secretary in the meantime to ascertain from the Minister under which section of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act the proposals could be carried into effect. COMMITTEE REPORTS. The reports of the Benevolent, Sanatorium, Hospital and Finance Committees were adopted without discussion.