TIMARU HOSPITAL BOARD.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2762, 17 April 1900, Page 3

TIMARU HOSPITAL BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Charitable Aid Board was held to-day. Present: Messrs J. Talbot (ohairman), Pringle, McLaren and Gillingham. Apologies wefe sent by Messrs Moore, Coffman and Hole. The chairman said there was not much ordinary business to transact. The committee appointed to frame the estimates had done so. The expenditure last year was about £6OOO, a good deal below the estimate and provision was made, so that with a previous balance there was at the end of the financial year a credit of £IBOO. It was necessary to have a credit to carry on with till contributions came in from the local bodies, but £I2OO or £I4OO was enough. The Committee therefore proposed to reduce the demand on the local bodies by £4OO. This would lessen the subsidy by the same amount. It must be understood that the reduction could not be expected to be permanent, it was only being made this year, because there was a larger balance from last year than usual, chiefly owing to charitable aid having been much less than the year before—£l6oo against £2OOO, The reduction in rate, together with the reductions in the harbour vote, would be a material relief to the ratepayers. The Chairman then made some remarks on the plague and the necessity for making some preparations for dealing with any case that might appear here. He feared it was probable that the plague would make its appearance in New Zealand,though there should be far less difficulty in coping with it than in a place like Sydney. He thought, considering the state of that city,according to all accounts, they were coping with the disease with great success, and it should be more easily dealt with in New Zealand. The Timaru Borough Council, on the suggestion of Dr Hogg,had appointed a sub-committee to confer with a Hospital and a Harbour Board committee, and he thought that this Board would be quite willing to join in such a .conference. Dr Hogg’s suggestion was that some place should be secured in readiness to receive any plague patient. There was, however, no correspondence from the Borough Council on the subject, In reference to the chairman’s remarks re the plague, it was resolved on the motion of Messrs McLaren and Pringle —That the chairman and Dr Qabltes be appointed to meet the sub-committee of the Timaru Borough Council to make provision for the treatment of any case of plague should a case of this dreadful disease appear in Timaru. Mr Pringle brought up a complaint against the resident surgeon. An old man named Gibson told him that he attended at the hospital as an out-patient with an old ulcer on his leg. Dr Gabitea took him into the operation room and stripped his leg, Dr Hogg then came to the door, and Dr Gabites went away with him, and did not return for threequarters of an hour. Mr Gibson became angry at being kept so long waiting ; wrapped up his leg again, and went out, and then saw Drs Gabites and Hogg talking together outside. He thought the doctor should explain why he left the man so bog. The liesident Surgeon said that Gibson’s story was in the main correct. He was left a considerable time. Dr Hogg came up for a consultation, he was obliged to attend to him first, and was away longer than he expected. The man suffered no harm and ran no risks by being left. It was only his feelings that were wounded. It was the rule in all hospitals that the medical staff must be attended to promptly, and another rule that outdoor patients must wait if ward patients need attention. MrjJGillingham considered that the

doctor’s explanation was satisfactory. Outpatients getting their treatment for nothing could not expect to have the same attention as others.

Mr Pringle was not satisfied. The doctor should at least have told the man to cover his leg up, and not have kept him waiting, stripped, for so long. He might have had to sit there a couple of hours more. Mr McLaren said it did look hard to leave the man so long, but the doctor had told them that he was called away for a consultation.

It was agreed, -Mr Pringle dissenting, that the doctor’s explanation was satisfactory.

A list of patients discharged last month was produced as usuual,and comment was made on the case of a woman, an old age pensioner, who was returned as discharged after being in the hospital 395 days. Ur Gabites said he had never seen the woman; she was in the hospital when he came, and he understood she was kept there as a mender, on what terms he did not know.

Mr Sutter, acting Steward, was sent for, and stated that she had been a patient, and had never been discharged. She did all the sewing. Mr McLaren understood that the nurses did that.

Mr Sutter said they did the ward mending. He understood the woman was kept on the list to account for the rations.

Mr McLaren said that everyone employed in the hospital should be properly entered. The estimates prepared by the committee were read.

The receipts last financial year were : —Balance at Ist April £1447 4s 9d, patients’ payments £326 lls 6d, donations £3B 6i Bd, rent £5, charitable aid refunds £B6 3s 6d, do. donations £43 18s sd, from local bodies £2928 6s 2d, Government subsidies £2974 6s 2d, sundries £l2 9s 6d, total £7862 6s Bd. The estimate this year from other sources than rates and subsidies are the same, except rent, £ls. The expenditure last year, and estimated expenditure this year compare as follows :—Timaru hospital, £2506 3s 4d- £2535 ; Waimate hospital, £1132 18s lOd—£lo2o 8a Id ; charitable aid,£l6B9l26d—£2ooo; Old Men’s Home, £4OO 9s 3d—£4so; Secretary, £176—£176; telephone and P.O. box, £6—£6 ; legal £ls 6s 3d—£2s ; rents, £39—£39 , travel-' ling expenses, £l7 7a 3d—£2s; stationery, advertising, printing, £36—£2o ; stamps, telegrams, sundries, £l4 12s 6d —£2o. The balance in hand at end of March was £IB2B 16s lOd. Left Sitting.