SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24631, 12 June 1941, Page 3

SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITALS

MEETING OF BOARD The first meeting of the newly-elected South Otago Hospital Board was held at Balelutha on Tuesday, when there were present:—Messrs A. T. Harris (chairman). J, W. Fenton. J. R. Copland. W, J, McKenzie, W. Sutherland, H. A. Brough, A. V. King, Adam King, Donald McGregor, R. G. Cullen, and L. W, Potter. The chairman welcomed the two new members, Messrs Cullen and Potter. Financial The treasurer reported that for the month of May the receipts included: Levies £914 10s 2d, patients’ fees £946 Is lid, miscellaneous £29 15s 3d, a total of £IB9O 7s 4d. The main items of expenditure were: Payments to other boards £241 19s, Balelutha Hospital £1217 16s sd. Milton Hospital £l5B 19s lid, Owaka Hospital £192 3s 7d, Kaitangata Hospital £72 14s. The total expenditure was £2064 15s Id. Superintendent’s Report The medical superintendent (Dr D. M. Frengley) reported as follows concerning the board’s hospitals for May. the figures for May last year being given in parentheses:—Balelutha Hospital: Admissions 90 (69), discharges 83 (72), remaining in 37 (52). Milton Hospital: Admissions 20 (17). discharges 24 (21), remaining in 6 (9). Owaka Hospital: Admissions maining in tangata Hospital: Admissions 5 (9), discharges 3 (7). remaining in 3 (2). Correspondence It> was decided to reappoint the chairman (Mr Harris) as the board’s representative on the Walpiata Sanatorium Committee. The Director-general of Health, writing in connection with the treatment of army, navy, and air force out-patients, recommended the board to accept the payments of hospital benefits for out-patients from the Social Security Fund.—Received. The director also advised that it was proposed to appoint specialists to visit and examine crippled childrfen at clinics to be established at the base hospital of the districts concerned. The chairman and Potter and Roy were appointed to visit the Milton Hospital and arrange for installing a small electric pump in connection with the water system. Milton Maternity Block The Director-general of Health wrote intimating that it would now be in order to call for tenders for the Milton Maternity Block. Mr McGregor alleged that the board had wilfully blocked the question of erecting a maternity ward at Milton Hospital. The chairman and other speakers disagreed with this contention, stating that it had never been the policy of the board to advance the building of a children’s ward at Balelutha in preference .to a maternity block at Milton, which they recognised was required, as there was no orivate nursing home there. It was decided to call for tenders for the work.