SOUTHLAND HOSPITALS

Southland Times, Issue 17734, 11 August 1917, Page 2

SOUTHLAND HOSPITALS

BOAlil) THURSDAY, AUGUST 9 The monthly meeting was attended by the chairman (Mr J. S. A. McDougall, in the absence of Mr Jas. Fleming, who was indisposed), and Messrs H. E. Niven, John MacGibhon, T. Fraser, J. Crosby Smith, J. Cockburn, C. Kerse, Mrs Cruickshand, and Miss Birss. Leave of absence was granted Messrs C. Robertson and H. Brass. EXECUTIVE COMMUTER. The Committee reported:—(l) Accounts and salaries totalling £1931 Us 4d were examined and recommended to the Board for payment. (2) The Treasurer reported that the Board’s receipts for July were £787 Ss lid; payments, £2416 13s, credit balance, Bank of New Zealand, £409 12s 3d, and subsidy of £lBBl 12s had been received from the Treasury since the beginning of August. (3) On the recommendation of Matron Ewart, Probationers Bisselt, Corbett, McCrostie and Revie, whose periods of probation had been satisfactory, were appointed to the permanent staff. (4) The recommendations of Matron Ewart regarding the wages of her domestic staff were approved. (5) The Committee recommend that in future when any of the Board’s employees become sick they receive free hospital treatment and full salary for six weeks from commencement of illness. (6) The Committee also recommend that the usual maintenance charge for treatment of those persons who are pensioners in the Board’s institutions be remitted in all cases, subject to pensioners on their admission handing over their certificates to the Board, who will collect the instalments as they become due and make the necessary adjustments and refunds to pensioners on their discharge according to their individual requirements. (7) The Committee recommend that alterations to the Board’s offices and Board room, as suggested by sub-committee, be left in the hands of Mr McDougall and secretary. (11) Five applications for charitable aid assistance were received and dealt with as follows: —One granted temporary assistance by secretary, whose action was approved, and further assistance discontinued; two left in the hands of the chairman and secretary to have further inquiry made, and with power to act; two to be admitted to Lome Farm Home. (13) The secretary was directed to have inquiries made through the South Canterbury Board as to the position of a Southland family at present living in Timaru and assisted by the Southland Board. (14) It was decided to pay 7s Cd per week towards the maintenance of three girls from Gore maintained in the Salvation Army Home at Middlemarch. (16) The action of Mrs Cruickshank and Miss Birss in granting temporary assistance in two emergency cases was approved. (17) Several communications from the Otago Hospital Board regarding Southland patients admitted to Dunedin Hospital were received, and an account of £5 to be paid in the meantime. (19) District Nurse Kerse, Invercargill, reported having attended six fresh patients and made 146 visits in July, while District Nurse Sommerville reported ten patients and 24 visits for the same period. (17) The secretary reported that the weekly expenditure on outdoor relief at present was £ls 17s 6d, as against £l6 12s fid for the corresponding period last year.—Adopted. SOUTHLAND HOSPITAL. Dr Brown reported that the diphtheria outbreak had taken a new lease of life during July, 49 cases having been admitted. At present the available accommodation at the .Hospital and at Kew was fully occupied. The wards are still overcrowded and several patients are awaiting admission. In respect to the urgent need of further accommodation for nurses he pointed out that the number of nurses required would not be affected by the removal of the consumptives. The recent increases in the nursing staff bad been necessary for the proper working of the present wards, to allow for sickness and for nurses away on holiday. LORNE FARM. The master reported that the patients remaining July 1, 1917, numbered 83 males, 17 females; total 100. Those admitted .were 3 males, 3 females, total 6; and total under treatment was 86 males, 30 females, total 106. Three died during July, and those remaining August 1, were 80 males, 20 females, total 100. For donations he wished to thank Mesdames A. C. Millar, Grace Smith, Cruickshank, H. Macalister, Birch, and W. N. Stirling.