PATIENTS AND PRISONERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25455, 9 February 1944, Page 4

PATIENTS AND PRISONERS

MEETING OF SOCIETY A meeting of the committee of the Patients and Prisoners’ Aid Society was held yesterday afternoon, and was attended by Mr W. Downie Stewart (chairman), Mesdames C. O. Mathias, J. Dey, E. C. Reynolds, D. Tannock, Miss Downie Stewart, Dr Thomson, and Messrs Taylor, D. Tannock, and Peter, Barr. The chairman welcomed Mr Barr, who has been on an extended visit to Australia, back to the committee. Miss Brown, matron of the Dunedin Hospital, was elected a member of the committee. Accounts amounting to £136 were passed for payment. Agent’s Report The society’s agent (Mr A. Steven) reported as follows: — Prison Work.—Those incarcerated in the local lock-up were remembered in a kindly way at Christmas, and dependents of prisoners serving sentences here and elsewhere received special Christmas orders. Mental Hospital.—Sunday church services were conducted regularly right through the holiday season and special Christmas services were held. The patients at Seacliff and Orokonui Home were visited and literature was supplied. Sports organised by Mr John McConachie were held at Bland Park, Waitati, on Monday, December 27, in the interests of the mental hospital patients, and were well attended. A cheque was sent to the medical superintendent towards Christmas cheer for the patients. Wakari Hospital and Pleasant Valley Sanatorium. —A concert arranged by Mr N. Sutherland was held at the Wakari Hospital on the afternoon of Saturday, December 4. and was greatly enjoyed by the patients and their visiting friends. At Christmas the usual Christmas cheer was provided for the patients. A number of the patients, both at Wakari and Pleasant Valley, were granted holiday leave. . . Dunedin Hospital.—A limited amount of visiting was done during December and January. The choirs concluded the Sunday evening song services for the year with Christmas music on Sunday, December' 19, when Miss Logie’s choir and the Hanover Street Baptist Church choir were in attendance and visited all the wards. The choirs were in recess during January, but commenced again last Sunday. James Powell Convalescent Home.—ln order to overcome the problem of the staff’s holidays and having to find help, the home was closed down for the last two weeks of December and the first two weeks of January. This arrangement proved quite satisfactory, as few patients were seeking admittance to the home during that period. Miss Dodds has again taken over as acting matron, and has a good working staff. There are plenty of vegetables and the grounds round the home are in good order. Difficulty was exnerienced in getting the hay cut at the right time, but this work has now been done and there is a fair crop to stack. The turnips and mangels are doing well and will be a considerable help towards winter fodder. Our Jersey cow. which we decided to enter for the Blueskin Show, was champion Jersey, and came second for the best dairy cow amongst all the breeds. General.—The country and city collecting was completed before Christmas, and the response was most encouraging. The report was adopted. The matron at the James Powell Rest Home reported that the home had been reopened on January 13, and that 13 patients had been admitted up to January 31.