WAIPIATA SANATORIUM

Southland Times, Issue 19859, 3 May 1926, Page 11

WAIPIATA SANATORIUM

MEETING OF COMMITTEE. The monthly meeting of the Waipiata Sanatorium Committee was held in Dunedin on Tuesday, April 27. Present—J. Matheson (chairman), Rev. T. W. Potts, Hon. R. Scott, Hon. A. S. Malcolm, Messrs W. Bryant, A. Fraser, J. Ritchie, J. Horrell and Dr R. A. Shore (Assistant Medical Officer of Health) representing the department. Leave of absence granted to Mr F. W. Watt, and the Standing Orders were suspended to enable Mr Bryant to vote on behalf of the Ashburton Board. The secretary reported having made arrangement with the Maniototo Hospital Board re bringing the sanatorium nursing staff within the provisions of the Hospital ■ Employees’ Superannuation scheme with i the National Provident Fund. I The action of the chairman was approved i in the matter of supplying members of the I South Otago Hospital Board with a summary of the Medical Superintendent’s re- | port re treatment of patients in Waipiata I Sanatorium from May, 1923, to March 31, ' 1926. ! Dr C. E. Adams, Dominion Observatory, ' Wellington, wrote re Dr Kidd (Medical I Superintendent) recording and reporting ’ earthquakes in the Otago Central District.— i Received, and arrangements with Dr Kidd • as requested. i The Chief Postmaster, Dunedin, advised ■ that arrangements had been made for a ' mail service for the sanatorium between j Waipiata and Patearoa three days a week.— j Received, and the department to be thanked. • The secretary of the Hospital Boards’ Association forwarded a report on an interi view between members of the association ! and the Hon. J. A. Young (Minister of I Health) regarding additional Government ■ assistance for capital expenditure to hosi pit al boards for consumptive sanatoria in i the South Island, owing to the fact that | the consumptive sanatoria in the North j Island were owned and controlled by the ; Government, the North Island Hospital i Boards paying only the maintenance charges i for their patients in these institutions. I It was noted that the Minister’s reply to the association was of a sympathetic nature, and the communication was received. . The Director-General of Health advised that the Hon. the Minister had approved of the committee’s capital expenditure of £lO,OOO on additional accommodation for the ensuing year, and in this connection Messrs Potts and Scott moved, “That authority be given to the committee's architect, in conjunction with the Medical Superintendent and the department,' to prepare plans and estimates with a view to tenders being invited for the different works proposed.” Dr A. Kidd reported that at date all the available beds in the institution were occupied, namely, 30 males and 30 females. He submitted the weather report for the month of March, and reported on his visits to the different centres and the number of patients there examined.—The report was adopted, and requisition from the matron ,for extra cutlery granted. It was decided to forward copies of the Medical Superintendent’s report regarding the condition of some of the patients to the hospital boards concerned. The secretary reported that at present the different boards had patients in the 1 institution as follows—South Canterbury 19, Southland 17, Ashburton 9, Waitaki 7, South Otago 4, Wallace 1, Maniototo 2, and one private patient, and there 36 suitable patients on the waiting list from the different districts seeking admission to the institution. —Adopted. Mr A. P. Aldridge, engineer, reported that he expected to have the hydro-electric i plant working within a week’s time, and Jas engineer to the Otago Electric Power : Board, asked whether the committee would i be prepared to consider the disposal of its j surplus energy to the Naseby and Ranfurly [ districts. : The report was adopted and consider- ! ation of the matter of surplus power held j over until the plant is in working order, I other details in connection with the scheme I being left in the hands of the chairman, ' Mr Ritchie and the secretary to interview ' Mr Aldridge and with power to act. Mr E. R. Wilson, architect, reported on the progress of Mr McLellan s contract for the extensions to the present patients pavilions, stating that he hoped to have the work completed by the end of May. He forwarded a certificate for a third progress payment of £l2OO to the contractor. He also’reported on the working of the septic tanks and the necessity for carrying the effluent further away from the tanks. —The report was received, the payment to the contractor approved. The matter of the septic tank held over to enable the Health Authorities to confer with Mr Wilson on same. The Hon. R. Scott reported fully on the j different matters that had engaged the committee’s attention in connection with the farm since last meeting and the report was adopted, the matter of boundary fencing between the committee’s property and that of Mr Hastie being left in the hands of Messrs Scott and Ritchie and the farm manager with power to act. The treasurer reported that there was a credit balance at the bank of £4974 10/3 and a copy of the committee’s estimates 1926-27 providing for a levy of £lO,OOO for capital expenditure, had been forwarded to the department and the different associated boards.—Report adopted. Accounts and salaries totalling £2445 7/11 were passed for payment. It was decided to hold the next meeting of the committee in Dunedin on Tuesday, June 1, 1926.