HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD

Southland Times, Issue 17969, 9 March 1917, Page 3

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Southland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was held yesterday, when there were m attendance Mr A. F. Hawke (chairman), Mrs Cruickshank, and Messrs Colin Robertson, Jas. Fleming, Chas. Kerse, I. L. Petrie, Fraser, H. E. Niven, Cockburn, and John Mac Gibbon. CORRESPONDENCE. The Inspector-General of Hospitals wrote stating that the ''Christmas cheer” donations, which the Department objected to pay its subsidy on, were, donations in cash collected for the purchase of toys. The Department doubted if toys could be considered as charitable aid. —Received. Misses Ida Mclntyre (Longbush), Marie Main (Christchurch) and M. E. Anderson (Benhar) applied for positions as probationer nurses. —Applications filed. The secretary of the Southland Soldiers' Club wrote requesting that the Club’s Hospital Visiting Committee be granted access to the soldiers in the Hospital. At present the Committee was restricted to the public visiting days and hours. —Referred to Medical Superintendent and Matron. EXECUTIVE REPORT. The Executive Committee’s report was as follows: — Accounts and salaries totalling £1466 2s 5d were examined and are recommended for payment.—The Treasurer reported that the Board's receipts for February were £592 17s 9d; payments, £l6lß 16s 9d; credit balance Bank of N.Z., £1036 18s 9d. He also submitted a comparative statement showing that the year’s expenditure on Board's institutions and departments exceeded the estimate by £604, all institutions showing an increase except “Lome Farm,” “Charitable Aid,” “Payments to other Boards.” —The Committee report having received fourteen applications for the position of Assistant Health Inspector, and recommend the appointment of T. A. Russell to the position.—Acting District Nurse Pryce having resigned, the Committee recommend the appointment of Nurse A. Kerse of the Southland' Hospital to the position. Draft of rules submitted by the secretary defining her duties are approved by the Comittee, who suggest that they be referred to the Medical Superintendent, Southland Hospital, before being finally adopted.—'Miss Ruby Boyce (Invercargill) and Miss Elsie Bissett (Isla Bank) are recommended for appointment as probationers, Southland Hospital, to take the places of Nurse Armstrong (resigned) and Nurse Kerse. now appointed Acting District Nurse.— The Committee also report that Miss Vera Hay and Master B. Ayling have been appointed typlste and junior In the Board’s office. —That the recommendation of the Chairman and Farm Committee to place the Lome Farm vegetable garden under the control of the Master and Matron of the Home be approved, and that applications be invited for a wardsman at 30s per week to take the place of O’Halloran, now working the garden, whose duties will be defined by the Farm Committee.—Owing to the continuance of the diphtheria epidemic in the district, and the overcrowded state of the Southland and Kew Hospitals. a meeting of the Town Committee he held on Saturday morning at tl am. to confer with the Medical Superintendent regarding providing extra accommodation and taking any other necessary steps to combat the present epidemic.—Recommend the installing of another telephone line at the Southland Hospital at the annual rental of £l4 10s as . suggested in the Engineer’s report.—Dr H. B. Leatham’s report regarding Hospital X-ray plant is left In the hands of the Town Committee to confer with the Medical Superintendent.—Two fresh applications for assistance were received during the month, and in one case no action was taken while the other was recommended to Pleasant Valley Sanatorium. —The secretary’s action in admitting an Old Age pensioner from Lake District to Lome Farm Home was approved, while a request to take a boy out of Lome Farm Home was declined for the present. The case of an exSouthland resident now residing at Timaru was held over for further information. —The Committee recommend that the sum of £l2 10« per annum be paid for the maintenance of an exinmate of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, in 'that institution, she being a Southland resident.—Several communications from the Otago Board regarding Southland patients treated in the Dunedin Hospital were received and the secretary instructed to try and arrange for some of these being sent back to the hospital of their own district for treatment If they arc unable to pay the Dunedin Hospital fees,—Mr Wesley Turton, Queenstown, was authorised to take legal proceedings against a Lake County Hospital debtor for maintenance in that institution; while the secretary was also directed to take the same measures with the father of five children at present in Lome Farm for their maintenance therein. —The Committee approve of the Chairman’s suggestion that the Board make a satisfactory allowance to an old couple on condition that they transfer their property to the Board,—The secretary reported that the weekly expenditure at present on outdoor relief is £l2 15s 6d, as against £lB 12g 6d for the corresponding period last year. The report was received and adopted. GENERAL BUSINESS. Mr John Mac Gibbon moved that the system of calling tenders for supplies be discontinued and that the Matron buy in the open market for three months in order to try the system. Mr Petrie seconded the motion, for which no other member voted and which was consequently lost.