WAIPIATA SANATORIUM

Southland Times, Issue 21072, 2 May 1930, Page 3

WAIPIATA SANATORIUM

MEETING OF COMMITTEE. The Waipiata Sanatorium Committee met in Dunedin on Tuesday. Present: Messrs J. Matheson (chairman), C. A. Campion, E. Macdonald, FI. Grenfell, J. Clark, J. G. Johnston, J. Ritchie, P. Aitken and Dr. F. S. Maclean. The Under-Sccretary, Public Works Department, forwarded Gazette copy of the Order-in-Council granting the Maniototo Hospital Board, on behalf of the committee, a water power license for the purpose of generating electric current for the sanatorium.

The District Engineer, Public Works Department, forwarded an account for rental of water used for hydro electric purposes for the past year, and the adjusting of this amount was left in the hands of Mr Ritchie and the secretary for attention.

The Director-General of Health wrote asking for information regarding the proposed administrative and X-ray block to which the secretary had replied, the Minister of Health later forwarding Departmental approval to the design of the proposed block. The letters were received, the committee’s architect to proceed with the preparation of plans and specifications with a view to inviting tenders for the work, a site plan to be forwarded to the Department showing the relationship of the proposed building to the existing ones. Dr. A. Kidd reported that at March 31 there were 109 patients in the institution (41 males and 68 females) who, with the exception of 17 whose condition was stationary, were doing well or improving. He submitted his monthly weather report showing that on two days there had been a light rainfall totalling .08 inches, while the average sunshine for the month had been 6.8 hours per day. There had been frost on 13 days. He also reported the result of his visits to the different centres and the number of patients examined and recommended for treatment in the institution.—The report was adopted. The secretary reported that at date of meeting the following hospital boards had patients in the institution: —South Canterbury 32, Southland 34, Ashburton 15, Waitaki 12, South Otago 11, Wallace 7, Maniototo 1, Vincent 1, Waipiata Sanatorium Committee 1, a total of 114. Of this number 7 had been in the sanatorium for more than eighteen months, 15 for more than twelve months and 92 for less than twelve months. Six patients had been discharged since the previous meeting, 1 with the disease arrested, 2 disease quiescent, 1 improved and 2 transferred to hospital for other treatment. He also reported that at date the following boards had patients on the register awaiting admission: South Canterbury 17, Ashburton 1, Waitaki 10, South Otago 4, Southland 10, WallaCe 4, a total of 46.

Some discussion took place regarding the increased number on the waiting list, and the secretary was directed to write the medical superintendent asking if he could make any suggestions whether the list might be reduced by some form of home treatment in certain suitable cases.

The farm manager submitted a report on the quantity of milk, meat, etc., supplied to the institution during the month. Mr Aitken, on behalf of the Farm and Vivisiting Committee, reported that the contract for increasing the capacity of the storage dam and repairs to the main water race had been completed, and in consequence the risk of shortage of water for hydro-electric and domestic purposes was now very much minimized. The report was adopted, the engineer of the Maniototo County Council to be asked to inspect the work done on the storage dam, and a second progress payment of £75 to be made in the meantime to the contractor.

Certain detail matters in connection with the running of the farm were left in the hands of the farm committee and the manager to adjust, it also being decided that the committee should go in for pig breeding on a limited scale as well as fattening for institutional use. The treasurer (Mr T. Pryde) submitted a statement of the committee’s financial position, and indicated that after meeting the whole of the maintenance expenses of running the sanatorium and farm for the past year, on a daily maintenance charge to the association boards of 7/6 per patient, the average cost per occupied bed would work out at approximately £l2O as compared to £128.33 for the previous year.

The architect (Mr E. R. Wilson) reported having visited the sanatorium during the month, and the contractor for the erection of the laundry block; assistant doctor’s house, septic tank, drainage, etc., had satisfactorily completed same, and certificate for payment had been issued accordingly. The secretary reported the position as regards laundry equipment and the final acceptance of a tender for same was left in the hands of the chairman and secretary with power to act, as was also the finalizing of a tender for the supply of coal to the institution.

It was decided to hold the next meeting of the committee at Waipiata on Wednesday, May 28.