HOSPITAL CONTROL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19123, 18 September 1936, Page 4

HOSPITAL CONTROL

COOK BOARD .MEETS PUBLIC WORKS PATIENTS All RANG EM I ANTS FOR CARE The monthly meeting of the Cook Hospital Board, held yesterday afternoon, dealt with little business out of routine order, with the exception of the agreements for treatment of members of two separate workers’ medical associations, one ,of these having its headquarters at Bartlett’s Camp, and the other in Napier. Those present at the meeting comprised Mr. M. T. Trnfl’ord, chairman, Mrs. A. E. Boer, Dr. 11. Colliding Rice. Messrs. 11. Ken way, T. Adair, ,T. Tombleson. F. 0. A. Deggatt, H. J. F. Tombleson, and 0. G. Bayliss. Leave of absence was granted to Dr. .1. C. Collins and Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P. The committee appointed to negotiate an agreement between the Wharorata IMedical Association and the board, for hospital benefits for the workers and their families, reported that nn agreement had been reached, the chairman stating that the board had offered the same terms as to the Public Works Medical Association, and that the period of the agreement would be one year, as from September 1,

The Public Works Department’s oflic.e in Gisborne wrote agreeing to make deductions of Is per week from the wages of the members of the Wlmrcrnta Medical Association, in accordance with the board’s agreement with the association.

The Public Works Employees’ Medical Association (inc..), Napier, wrote agreeing to enter into an arrangement for the treatment in hospital of its members and their dependants on terms submitted in the association’s letter.

The managing-secretary, Mr. C. A. Harries, said that the terms offered by the association did not quite meet the board’s views as to the basis reached at Hie Wairoa conference held in August. The matter was deferred for discussion later. After the board had formally adopted the agreement with .the Wharorata association, the managingsecretary outlined the negotiations by correspondence with the Public Works Medical Association in Napier, the last letter of.which intimated that tlic adoption of the agreement offered by the board, would be considered by a meeting of the executive of the association late this month.

The board agreed that ponding the adoption of the specific terms offered bv it to the Napier organisation, which included many men engaged in railway camps north of Wairoa. cases forwarded to the Co oh Hospital would be treated provisionally on the terms of the agreement. B l lILDING EX 1 ’ANSION 'Die Department of Health acknuw lodged receipt of the terms ol: t.lift board’s outdoor medical treatment scheme, adopted at last meeting. The Cook County Women’s Guild wrote stating that it w.ould be glad to accept the board’s nomination of Mrs. A. E. Beer as its representative on the management committee of the Ileni Materoa Children’s Home. The guild also forwarded separately a copy of its balance sheet for last year. The finance eommittco recommended that Messrs. Natusch and Company, Napier, lie appointed architects for the projected expansion of tho hospital buildings, nine applications for the appointment having been received. The committee also recommended that an aerial photograph of the hospital and grounds should be obtained, in compliance with tho recommendation of the Health Department, and with a view to facilitating the planning of building extensions. The board was recommended by tho department to consider tho provision of suitable and separate accommodation for chronic cases.—/The chairman suggested that the possibility of rearranging the tuberculosis block for chronic patients, and of providing other accommodation for tuberculosis easos should bo taken up with the board’s architects, when the general building scheme was being considered. This suggestion was accepted. OFFICERS’ REPORTS’ The treasurer, Mr. C. A. Harries, reported that receipts in cash since last meeting had amounted to £5091, while cash payments had consumed £4525, tho debit balance in the board’s account on August 31 being £6153. The major portion of tho cash receipts was received from the Health Department, in the form of subsidies, totalling £4127, while patients’ fees yielded a further £OGS. In-patients’ fees charged during the month amounted to £1604. The medical superintendent, Dr. R. J. B. Hall, reported that the number of patients in hospital had increased from 120 at last return to 137 at date, 12 of the cases now under treatment being of an infectious character. In the report of the lady superintendent, Miss G. M. Liepst, it was stated that owing to pressure of work the staff had not had their days off regu-

larly for the past fortnight; hut that it was hoped to mako up the time to them later. Several nurses had been off duty with minor ailments. The lady superintendent recommended that Nurses Barnard and Gill, having completed their four years’ • training, should he appointed staff nurses. Gifts to the hospital were acknowledged by Miss Liepst as follow: — Magazines and periodicals, Mrs. Allen, Mrs .Ormerod, Gisborne Company of Girl Guides, and Mr. Paviour-Smith. An enjoyable concert given at the hospital by Mr. .T. Carrington-Wcllby and party was also mentioned in the report, ns* also were tho following gifts to the Tolaga Bay Hospital: Vegetables, Mesdames H. Kent and A. Norris; hooks. Mrs. Watkins and Mr. H. Littleworth. DISTRICT NURSES

Sister Pritchard, district nurse at Matawni, reported having treated and advised i)1 patients and paid 64 visits during thej month, one patient having been conveyed to a private hospital and two to'the Co,oh Hospital. Her duties had included attendance on'two maternity cases, and clinical examinations at Otoko and Motuhora schools, in association with Dr. E. Heycoch and Miss North, of tho Health Department. Sister Burgess, in her last report as district native nurse at To TCaraka, staled that she had treated six Europeans and 88 Maoris during tho month, and had visited five Maori pas and four schools. Sistor Burgess forwarded a letter thanking the board for its courtesy to her during her period of service at To Karaka.

Respecting the conduct of the Memorial Home, flic custodian, Mr. R. C. Vigis, stated that 55 inmates wero being cared for at the end of the month, this number including .11 women. Tho Salvation Afmy and other denominational parties had paid their usual visits, and the "S. and S.” concert party had giveu an entertaining performance during the month. Gifts of papers and periodicals were acknowledged from Mesdamos Paulson, Scott, Bennett, and A. E. Barber, and the Christian Science district committco; while gifts of knitted wrist muffs for lady inmates, from Mrs. T. E. Toney* cliffe. and a Kodak puzzle from Mr. A. R. Seal, were also mentioned in the report,