HOSPITAL CONTROL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19099, 21 August 1936, Page 9

HOSPITAL CONTROL

COOK BOARD MEETING • ■ many routine matters The monthly meeting of the Cook Hospital Boanl was held yesterday afternoon, there being present Mr. M. T..Trafford, chairman, Mrs. A. E. Beer. Drs. J. C. Collins and 11. Colliding Rice, and Messrs. IT. Adair, .T. Tombleson, C. G. Bavliss, F. C. A. Leggatt, 11. J. F. Tombleson, S. T. Gray, and H. Kenway. Dr. R. J. B. Hall, medical superintendent, and Mr. 0. A. Harries, managing secretary, were in attendance.

Among the correspondence received from the Department of Health was an intimation that Sister Burgess, native district nurse at Te Karaka, had been transferred to Rawene, North Auckland, Miss Jamison having been appointed to fill the vacancy at Te Karaka. —The chairman expressed regret at the loss of the services of Sister Burgess, whose work at To Karaka was most valuable. On Mr. Trafford’s motion, the board placed on record its appreciation of the work done by Sister Burgess in the district. FRIENDLY SOCIETY MEMBERS The Department of Health also advised that the Minister had agreed to approve the extension for a further year of the agreement existing between the Cook Hospital Board and the combined friendly societies, the letter intimating that the proportion of fees chargeable against cases under this agreement was rather lower than that required by the department, but that no objection would be raised at present in view of the possibility of a general review of such agreements later, in connection with the national health insurance scheme. —The chairman commented that he was not surprised at the department’s attitude. The agreement was a lot less favourable to the board than those held by other boards. The finance committee recommended that accounts amounting to £4323 should be passed for payment. The treasurer’s report indicated that when all charges were presented, the bank overdraft would be £4815. The com-mittee-recommended that application should be made to the Health Department for an advance of £4200 against the subsidy due from the department. The committee also recommended that a new violet-ray tube be pro--1 cured at a cost of £45, and the pur- [ chase of a new refrigerator. • STAFFING MATTERS The appointment of Sister V. Bradnev as theatre l sister was approved. The staffing of the Memorial Home ’was reported on by the committee, which recommended that an assistant cook and one porter should be appointed,. in order to .place the staff there on the same footing as to hours of work as domestics on the hospital staff. The treasurer, Mr. C. A. Harries, reported that cash receipts during the month totalled £5301, of which - the greater portion was in the form of levy instalments from the contributing local bodies. Patients’ fees realised £5lB during the month, the total amount charged being £lBBl, including £1655' for in-patien ts ’ treatmen t. Reporting for the medical superintendent, Dr. J. Dovi intimated that the number of patients in. the hospital at the end of July Ayas 120, of which 11 Avore of infectious character. Of the cases under treatment, 22 had been in hospital for tAvo months or more. EXAM. FOR JUNIOR NURSES The lady superintendent, Sister G. M. Leipst, reported that Nurses. Vallance, Hamlin and McKenzie Avere on annual leave; Avhile Sister Runciman and Nurses Price and Chamberlain had returned from annual leave. Nurses Glnssford, Shield, and Grant had resigned during the month. Sister H. Currie, night sister, commenced duty on July 20. The matron mentioned that she had commenced an examination for junior nurses to be held during the first six months of training. This examination was carried out in all training schools, and tne rule generally folloAved Avas that a nurse failing to pass the examination was not given a second chance. Sister Leipst asked for the board’s opinion as to Avhether the rule should be adopted in the Cook Hospital.

Nurses Wright, Phillpotts, Fraser, Symons, and Porteous were successful in passing the maternity examination held on June 3, the matron added. Gifts to the Cook Hospital were acknowledged from the following:— Papers and periodicals, Victoria League, Misses E. Hall and Allen, Messrs. Paviour Smith, Terry,, 11. J. Clayton and “Anonymous”; race tickets, Poverty Bay Turf Club and Poverty Bay Hunt Club; babies’ clothing, Townswomen’s Guild. The Salvation Army Band and Mr. 11. de Lisac’s orchestra were accorded thanks for performances. On behalf of the Tolaga Bay Hospital, the matron also acknowledged gifts from Mrs. E. Kelly and Messrs. 11. Hale, H. Bacon, and 11. R. Littleworth.

The usual reports were submitted by Sisters Pritchard and Burgess, district nurses at Matawai and Te Karaka respectively, on the work done during the past month.

The custodian of the Memorial Home, Mr. R. C. Vigis, reported that 53 inmates were in the institution at the end of July, 11 of these being women. The visits of various denominational representatives and of the Salvation Army Band were mentioned, as was also a performance by the Gisborne Military Band. Gift's acknowledged were as under: —Mrs. Grundy, cakes; Mr. Nunns, papers, Christian Science Committee, papers; Church of England, Parish News; and anonymous donors, various other papers.