OTAGO HOSPITAL BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3829, 2 August 1927, Page 15

OTAGO HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Otago Hospital Board was held on Thursday evening and was attended by Messrs W. E. S. Knight (in the chair), G. Gallaway, D. M’Lennan, Dr Newlands, A. Quelch, J. Dove, J. W. Scurr, D. Larnach. W. B. Morgan, Mrs Ross, and Miss Runciman. GENERAL.

The resignation of Dr A. P. Marshall from the positions of V.D. officer and anaesthetist was received and accepted. - The Medical Superintendent reported that Dr Strain had been appointed as temporary tutor in anresthetics. and further recommended that the position of V.D officer bo advertised in the usual manner and on the present condition.-.—Mr Dove disagreed with this. Tho question of the appointment of V.D. officer, he considered, should be referred to tho Joint Hospitals Relations Committee. He would move in this direction. Mr Scurr seconded the motion, which was carried, and it was decided to advertise the position of anaesthetist, the medical superintendent to be empowered to make the necssarv arrangements for carrying out the work in the meantime. REMISSION OF ACCOUNTS. The Secretary wrote forwarding recommendations for the remission of various accounts due to Dunedin, Infectious Diseases, luapeka, Tapanui, Port Chalmers, Louisa Roberts, and Wakari Hospitals, Pleasant Valley Sanatorium, Prince Edward Children’s Convalescent Home, Otago Benevolent Institution, and Out-patient, X-ray, In stdin and Sera Accounts and claims from other boards totalling £3702 19s 2d. Dr Newlands pointed out that the remis siens in connection with the Port Chalmers Hospital totalled £l6B. while the Tapanui remissions were only £3 7s 6d. Was every effo.t made to secure payments at Port Chalmers? lhe Secretary said the Port Chalmers amount included a large number of old accounts. lhe recommendations were anproved. ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT. The Medical Superintendent wrote conveying a request from the radiologist (Dr. Anderson) that he should be allowed to install an ultra-violet light apparatus at his own expense at the Dunedin Hospital. The Chairman said that some time ago the Hon. Mr Cohen informed him that the Dunedin Savings Bank intended to hand over £2OO to the board for this purpose. Mr Larnach (a trustee of the bank) said ho was afraid there was no chance of the board securing the amount this year. In reply to a question, the Chairman said it would be advisable for the board itself to install the apparatus. It was not right that it should be the property of any other body or person. The matter was referred to the Hospital Committee for a report. Die Secretary said, in reply to Dr Newlands, that, in regard to tho violet-ray light appartus at the Prince Edward Children s Convalescent Home at Kew, it was now being installed, and would be ready for use in a few days. VISIT’S TO INSTITUTIONS. The Director-general c£ Health wrote stating, m reply to the board’s letter, that in the opinion of the department, it was not necessary to give official notification to the board of visits of inspection to institutions. Mr Dove said that when an official of the department visited an institutions he should notify to the board, and not to officials of the institution, any alterations required. He moved accordingly. Mr Scurr seconded tho motion, which was carried. MASSEURS’ CONFERENCE. Die Medical Superintendent wrote stating that the first conference of the New

Zealand Trained Masseurs’ Association was to be held m Christchurch on September n 1 a U i 1 i He Sl, sl4 e3t ed that Miss Koberts bo chosen to proceed as a delegate to the conference. act^ e^ li° s Pital Committee© to

tenders were received for supply and littmg cab and body on a one-ton Morris truck, and that of H. Parker was accepted, ine Works Committee was emjiowered to act with regard to fittings for the kitchen and diet block at the Hospital lhe Matron at the Balclutba Hospital acknowledging tile kindly assistance of Mrs Orbell in contributing gifts to the institution and the good spirit of another donor who gave 5 s—half-earniim on one nn y ~- r ff' lrinl? nts for underclad babies.— lhe gifts in both cases were received with thanks, REPORTS. The reports of the Hospital, Benevolent, and Sanatorium Committees were adopted without discussion. THE NEW LAUNDRY. Mr Dove moved the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report Mr Scurr proved as an amendment that the clause in th© report recommending that a general laundry be established on the grounds of the Otago Benevolent Institution, Caversham, be deleted. He said that every member of the staff who had been asked to report had reported adversely to the scheme of a main laundry at Caversham, including the present anil past medical superintendents, who were surely in a position to advise' better than the board was to fudge. Iho constant recurring expenditure of having the main laundry at Caversham as against a site on or adjacent to the Hospital site would be larger than was estimated by even those opposed, to tho scheme. It could not be denied that it would cost £4OO per year for transport, £259 for an extra fireman, and £2OO for someone, either a sister or someone equally responsible, to receive and give delivery of linen at the Hospital. Provision would also have to be made to treat foul linen at the Hospital. At present they employed one laundress at Caversham for 150 patients as against 14 in the present Hospital laundry for 250 patients. If they erected a main laundry at Caversham they were not going to get the same results ar far as the Benevolent Institution was concerned, because, no matter who the manager was, he woul.l not be able to co-ordinate the old people who did so muc'i of the laundry work with a paid staff. Then, the work of the engineering staff would be divided, which would mean a considerable increase in cost. Further, there would have to be a large capital outlay on extra linen, which would more than compensate for the capital outlay to purchase a site for a laundry adjacent to the Hospital. Die Auckland Hospital Board had recently erected a new laundry at the main hospital. Mr’ Gallaway seconded Mr Scurr’s amendment. This matter, he said, had been threshed cut by the board for months and months. He would like to see sometlrng done. The Chairman said the matter had been before the board for a long time, and it was only lately that any finality bad been reached. Personally, he was of the opinion that at the rate building was going on on the Hospital block the place was becoming congested. Further, the land - Caversham was ot so valuable as that adjoining the present Hospita buildings. As for Mr Scurr’s remarks about transport, he was not sure that a great deal of extra expense would be entailed.

Dr Newlands said that although he agreed with Mr Scurr, he was sorry he could not support him. He could see that if tho motion were carried they would go on in the same old way and get nowhere. Now that they had got so near to their object, he would like to see some finality reached. Nir Dove agreed with Dr Newlands. Although he felt the laundry should be nearer to the Hospital, he thought something should be done. It had to be remembered that they had promise-- to make ro.nn for an ophthalmic department, so that, as far as the Hospital block was concerned, the building of the laundry 1„s “wash-out.” If they turned down the proposal to erect the laundry at Caversham they would be wl ere they were four or five years ago. Mr Morgan said he was opposed to adding to the Hospital" block. He thought that the proposed site for the laundry should be suitable.

Mr Scurr’s amendment, on being put to the meeting, was lost, and the original motion, which was seconded by Mr Larnach, was carried.