SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITAL BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3775, 20 July 1926, Page 15

SOUTH OTAGO HOSPITAL BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the South Otago Hospital Board was held in the C'lutba County Chambers, Balclutha. on July 13, when there were present:— Messrs James Cummins (chairman), Jasper Clark, H. A. Brougil, W. 8. Thomson, H. M. Driver, Adam King, .T. W. Fenton, John Christie, and Canon Small. MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. The Medical Superintendent reported as follows: The work at the base hospital in Balclutlia has been heavy during the past month; 38 cases were admitted. 37 discharged, one patient died, and 25 patients were in hospital on July 1. At Kaitangata seven new cases were admitted, nine discharged, and four remained at the beginning of the month. In addition, 19 eases were treated as out-patients. All the diphtheria cases have recovered and returned home. Amongst the admissions were two cases of scarlet fever, but there seems to be no indication of a general outbreak of this disease. There were also a few cases of mumps and whooping cough. Dr Stenhouse, Owaka, reported that the hospital there had been kept fairly busy and work generally had gone on satisfactorily; 13 cases were admitted, 12 discharged, and eight remained on July 1. There were no deaths. At Milton, Dr- Edgar reported that 10 cases were admitted, 13 were discharged, and six remained on July 1. The admissions included two eases of infectious disease that were transferred as soon as possible either to the patient’s home or to the isolation hospital at Kaitangata. There were no deaths at the hospital. These figures show that during the month of June 08 new cases were admitted into the hospitals in the district, 71 were discharged, and that 43 remained under treatment at the end of the month. There were in addition a certain number of cases under treatment at Dunedin. The receipts for the month amounted to £1549 15s Id, and the expenditure to £2546 Os Bd. Receipts. —Levies, £4O 12s 4d; subsidies, £1000; fees, £482 7s 7d; refunds, etc., £26 15s 2d;—£1549 15s Id. Expenditure. Salaries (administration), £39 0s 9d; members’ expenses, 15s Od; sundries, £2l Is lOd; Charitable Aid, £7 2s; equipment, £2lB 4s 9d; land and building. £sll 4s 8d: advertising, £2 15s; Hospital Boards, £539 6s sd; office printing, £2 18s; postages. £4 0s 2d; Balclutha Hospital, £682 19s 8d; Owaka Hospital, £159 Is 2d; Milton Hospital, £177 11s 9d; Kaitangata Hospital, £B2 2s; insurance, £2l 11s 2d; ambulance, £35 13s 2d; superannuation, £l2 5s 5d; —£2456 0s Bd. The debit balance on April 1 was £2380 0s 3d, and the expenditure to date £6078 Is 3d, the total being £9098 Is od. The receipts to June 30 were £4484 9s 2d; and the debit balance at date was £4573 i2s 4d. CORRESPONDENCE. On the suggestion 0 f the matron of the Kaitangata Hospital, it was decided that a portrait of Dr Fitsgerald, first superintendent of the hospital, be hung in the building. Dr T. H. Ag Valintine, Director-general of Health, Walliugton, wrote explaining

the position in regard to the expenditure on musical instruments. Where gifts had been received for the purchase of these the department would not consider a subsidy.—The secretary said he had £l3 in hand, and it was decided to wait until sufficient money had been received to enable the board to purchase a good gramophone. The secretary of the Waipiata Sanatorium wrote advising that the Sanatorium Committee had decided to purchase, for the sum of £Bll, an area of land adjoining the sanatorium property, which was requited as being the most suitable and central site for the different farm buildings which the committee would require for the purposo of working the sanatorium farm.—Received. The secretary of the Hospital Boards’ Association forwarded a copy of a letter sent to the Minister of Justice recommending certain amendments to the Destitute Persons’ Act.—No action was taken. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES’ AGREEMENT. A deputation from the South _ Otago Friendly Societies’ Council, consisting of Messrs Jas. M'Naughton and J. 11. Guest, waited on the board in connection with an agreemont under which the board accepts 50 per cent, of the fees of hospital patients belonging to lodges, and remits the rest. Mr M’Naughton said the Friendly Socie*ies’ Council had now secured the names of 400 member* who were willing to accept the scheme, but they had expected 1400 k He believed that later on they would have 1400 or 1500, as there were three lodges from which they had received no returns so far. What the deputation wished to know was what was expected of them to make the scheme operative. Would the agreement with the board require to be signed by the Friendly Societies’ Council or by the societies themselves 7 The motion was then put and carried, with one dissontient (Mr Thomson).

MINERS' BENEFIT SOCIETY. The Chairman said that the Kaitangata Miners’ Benefit Society thought that there should be some modification in its agreement with the beard, and he vyould give notice of motion for next meeting that the society’s agreement with the board be cancelled. He would further move as an ordinary motion that the board make a fresh agreement with the society on the same basis as that with the friendly societies. At present the miners were paying 26s per head per annum, and the agreement with the friendly societies provided for 12s per head, and the latter bad more Mr Clark seconded the motion. Mr Fenton explained that many of the miners were in the friendly societies also, and it had been agreed with the former chairman and the secretary that if a better arrangement were made with the friendly societies then the miners' agreement would be amended.—The motion was carried unanimously.