HOSPITAL BOARD

Otago Witness, Issue 3442, 2 March 1920, Page 43

HOSPITAL BOARD

The ordinary meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held on Thursday night, and was attended by Messrs W. E. S Knight (ohairman), D. Larnach, J. dimming, A. F. Quelch, J. Dove, K. Templeton, W. T. Talboys, J. W. Scurr, H. M. Driver, Mesdames Macfie, and Gordon, and[ Dr Newlands. children's convalescent home. Mr J. J. Clark wrote that at a meeting of the Children's Convalescent Home Fund a report had been made that on Sunday last, and again on Monday, two families of children from outside of the Hospital had been introduced into the home by the direction of the chairman of the board, and were now inmates thereof. His executive was also given to understand that these were healthy children belonging to parents who had been unfortunate enough to contract in a mild form the prevailing influenza. His executive would impress on the board very strongly that such an invasion of the home was a direct violation of the purposo for which the money was raised from, the public and liberally subsidised by the Government ,and was in essence a distinct breach of faith with tho subscribers to the fund. The primary object for which the home was required was set out beyond the possibility of misap'prehensicn or doubt in the letter which Mr Cohen addressed to the board on June 18, 1918. Mr Clark concluded by stating that his executive, while offering a protest against the action oif the board, had no desire to hamper the board's hands while coining with what, it hoped, would prove to be a mere passing difficulty, and therefore would not be adverse to the six children now in the home remaining there till they could be removed back to their own homes, but in the event of tha.t_ number being increased liis executive said firmly that the board must look elsewhere for suitable provision for the accommodation of such casps. The Chairman said that it was on the recommendation of the ladies attaohed to the St. John Ambulance Association that the childreli had been sent to the Convalescent Home at Caveraham. _ The six children had been accommodated in the top floor of the building and the children from the hospital on the bottom floor. There could, therefore, be little danger of contact. Mrs Macfie said she thought th e chairman had done the right thing. Mr Talboys said he did not think there had been any necessity to relieve the children of these two families by placing them in the home. So far as he could learn, the parents of one of the families were well able to look after their own children. .Mr Love moved: "That the action of the chairman be endorsed." He said the chairman had considered the cases were necessitous. '. '. , Mr Scurr seconded the motion, which wa» carried without dissent. It was decided to name the children's convalescent homo at Oaversham "The Prince Edward Children's Convalescent Horn?," and that the wards should be named after Mr and Mrs Mark Cohen and their two daughters—namely, "Mark Ward," "Sara Ward," "Adelaide;' Ward," and "Florence' Ward." OWAKA HOSPITAL. Mr Andrew Chesney, secretary of the Owaka Cottage Hospital Committee, wrote stating that his committee had decided that a six or eight-bed main building (to include one female ward, one male ward, a maternity ward, of four beds, and an isolation ward of, say, two beds) should suit their present requirements. Upon receipt of a repl" from the board that the buildings suggested by its chairman (Mr Knight), when visiting Owaka, and now suggested by the Owaka committee, would be erected without further calling on the public for subscriptions, a cheque for £SOO would be forwarded to the board.

The architect (Mr Wales) was instructed to prepare plans for the building.