HAWERA NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1924, Page 2

HAWERA NEWS.

HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION. MEETING OF THE BOARD. THE MONTH’S OPERATIONS, (From Our Own Reporter.) Hawera, Dec. 15. The monthly meeting of the Hawera Hospital Board was held to-day. Present: Messrs. F. Gillanders (chairman), E. J. Gifford, E. A. Washer, J. S. McKay. A. L. Campbell, E. A. Wills, J. J. Meldon, and G. W. Tayler.

The secretary’s interim report stated that an offer by Mr. E. Dixon to supply a second-hand English piano, a gramaphone and 12 records to the Old People’s Home for £66 net, to include delivery and first year's tuning, was accepted, and the instruments were now in the home. Dr. R. G. Stokes had accepted the nosition of resident medical officer at fte hospital, and would arrive on December IJ. Miss I. K. Rigg had reher 'position as typist and Mrs. C.. Twaddle had consented to fill the vacancy until an appointment was made. The collection of fees was as follows (the collections for November, 1923, being given in parentheses): Hospital patients’ fees, £239 5s ( £229 4s 6d); out-patients’ fees. £lO 2s 6d (nil); Xray fees, £9 12s od (£3 18s); ambulance hire (other than hospital patients) £2 2s 6d (nil); bad debts written off and subsequently recovered, £4 (£3 14s 6d); totals, *££6s 2s 6d (£236 7s). Although the fees collected were not so high in comparison, the total fees received up to the end* of the month were £l4BO higher this year than for the same period last year. When comparing “the Hawera collections with those of- other hospitals, the chairman remarked that the result spoke well for the Hawera secretarial staff, the collections being more than double, those of one other large hospital. ADMINISTRATION REPORTS.

The medical superintendent (Dr. W. M. Thomson) reported for the month that 50 patients were admitted to the hospital, two died, 54 were discharged, and 39 remained at the end of the menth. The daily average of occupied beds was 41.3. Twenty-two operations were performed wjth the sanie. number of anaesthetics. Twenty-four X-ray cases were treated. 14 being hospital and 10 private cases. Seven new massage patients received treatment, 12 were discharged, and 10 were still receiving treatment.

Matron R. Lockhead reported that Nurse Hoddinott had completed her first year’s training,. Nurses Faragher. O’Dowd. Murjjhy and Lawrie had passed the preparatory hospital examination. and junior purses Adlam, Kime, McCarthy, .Washer and Hoddinott had passed their physiology and anatomy examinations. Nurses O’Dowd and Murphy having completed their training, had sent.in their resignations. Nurses G. Norris and A. Sturrock had entered -the hospital on three months’ probation. Nurse M. Smith was ready to be accepted op the staff., having finished her three months’ probation. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES’ ATTITUDE. Members of the board commented strongly ■ upon the action of the Taranaki United Friendly Societies’ action in refusing to pay the fees of a patient who -had been receiving out-patient massage treatment.

It was pointed out that the patient had been receiving treatment in the hospital, and for this the friendly societies had paid the fees. To complete the treatment the patient was discharged from the hospital and massaged as an out-patient at the hospital. For his treatment the frendly societies refused to pay on the grounds that the rules forbade the payment of fees for massage treatment. With, a view to establishing a principle, Mr. Campbell moved that unless the> societies pay this fee the whole relations of the societies with the board be reconsidered, and the motion was carried. DIPLOMA OF-Nt7RSTNG. The Department of Health wrote stating that the authorities of the Otago University had institute a diploma of nursing and postgiaduate course for nurses at the Otago University. By way of assisting the project, the Government had despatched to England a New Zealand nurse Janet Moore, late matron of the Waikato Hospital) to train and graduate a ; a nurse administrator at the Redford College of Nursing, in order - that later she may return to New Zealand and be appointed as nurse tutor at the university. Her college training and future work, will relate to training of nurses for service in hospitals.

Next year the Government hoped to despatch a second nurse to the Bedford College to graduate in public health nursing, and to return subsequently to New Zealand and accept a position as nurse tutor at the Otago University in connection with the course for public health to be inaugurated there. It. was expected the post-graduate trafciihg would be -commenced at the beginning of 1926.’ - / HOSPITALS’ ASSOCIATION.' On the motion of the chairman, seconded , by Mr. Washer, it was decided to join the proposed New Zealand Hospital Boards’ Association. As a reason for joining the association, the secretary said there was a proposal afoot to reduce- the number of hospitals by attaching Hawera and St/atford to New Plymouth, Pa tea to Wanganui, and so' on. Some organisation was necessary to combat such suggestions as this. The provisional president (Mr. William Wallace) wrote stating that so far 23 boards had agreed to .join. One board (vvbahgaroa) had declined. BOROUGH AFFAIRS. LAST MONTH S ACTIVITIES/ The monthly "meeting of’ the Hawera Borough CoiwM-il was held to night. Present; The Mayor (Mr. L. A. Bone),.Crs. J G. Osborne, H. B. Bhrdekin, J. J. Goodwin, E. Morrissey, J. M. Townsend, H. A. Brunette, J. Champion and A. Reid. The report of the general committee stated that a deputation, representing the South Taranaki Automobile Association, had waited upon the committee , *vith the following requests: —‘('1) That the couocH assist in the erection o! tign boards designed to bring througl

traffic by way of High Street; (2) the contribution of £6 towards a publicity campaign; and (3) the assistance of the council in obtaining legislation or regulations enabling local bodies to dispense with the lighting of cars left at certain specially appointed parking places. The committee recommended that the council pay half the cost of erecting the sign-boa rds (the cost to l the council not to exceed £10), that the Mayor and Cr. Osborne be a committee to arrange with the Automobile Association with ■regard to tile lettering, and that the council grant £6 as a contribution to the Automobile Association for special advertising of the borough. Other recommendations made by the general committee were:— That the Park Croquet Club be thanked for their contribution of , £3. That the swimming club be granted permission to hold a carnival in the baths on the same terms as last year. That Mr. A. M. Conroy be granted ■permission to show pictures on Christmas night and that Crs. sborne and Goodwin tie appointed to approve of the programme.

That Mr. F. G. Coleman be appointed sanitary inspector of the borough. That the Hawera Hospital Board’s application for an extraordinary water supply to the new hospital be granted, viz., a three-inch pipe for fire-fighting from which a 11-inch lead "is to be taken off for ordinary hospital purposes, and that the board be written to stressing t'he condition that under no circumstances shall the three-inch pipe be used (except by means of the I’l-inch lead) unless required for fire (prevention. That the by-laws committee consider the question of by-laws dealing with the distance of buildings in the outer area from side lines. All the recommendations were adopted. The borough engineer reported that the pond in the East End Park had been cleaned out at a cost of about £34. Bitumen painting of th?, footpaths had been commenced, and for this work the sand was being screened to obtain the best surfaces possible.. The librarian reported for the month of, November that six new members joined and six left, leaving; the total of 460, or 25 more than in November, 8>23. Seventy-eight new books were placed on the shelves. The Rev. C. J. Bush King also presented one volume. As the Opunake library decided not to take cast-off volumes tlie librarian divided 50 old books between the fire brigade and the soldiers’ club.

NEW HOSPITAL BUILDING. NINE TENDERS RECEIVED. NONE YET ACCEPTED. Nine tenders for the big work of erecting the new Hawesa Hospital were received by the Hospital Board to-day, and the board was favourably impressed wit bthe figures submitted and the closeness of the tendering. The tenders were considered in committee, but none was actually accepted. A decision will probably 'be arrived at in a day or two.

BURGLARY REPORTED. ‘•On Sunday week the library was entered through the reference room window and 5s fid was stolen from the desk,” stated the librarian in her monthly report to the Borough Council to-night. “It is probably the work of some boy. as a candle was lighted on the mantelpiece and the window was left open about three inches. As far as I could see nothing but the cash had been touched. I informed the police at once. .This is the only occasion of such a happening.” CONCESSION ON RAILAGE. Should hospital boards receive the same treatment with regard to the railage of road metal as other local bodies? This is a ques«yi with which the Hawera Hospital Board is confronted when considering the laying down of the loading at the proposed new hospital. It is proposed to procure a quantity of metal from Te Wera. and application was made to the Railway Department for a similar reduction on carriage as is made to other local bodies.' The department replied that to share in the concession the local body must be a road board, borough or county council. The board decided to-day to press further for a reduction.

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS. Seven building permits, representing a total value of £1229 were issued by the Hawera Borough Council during November. During November the following stock was slaughtered for local consumption at the Hawera abattoirs: Two bullocks. 100 cows, 38 heifers, 389 sheep, 9G lambs, 31 calves and 77 pigs. Dr. R. G. Stokes has been appointed resident medical officer at the Hawera Hospital. Dr. Stokes graduated at the Otago University a year ago and has since been engaged as assistant to Dr. Malcolm in the department of physiology at the university. A donation of £l6 3s 8d was received by the Hawera Hospital Board to-day from the West Coast Settlement Reserves Committee. A covering letter stated that the objects for which the committee was brought into being, having been successfully accomplished, the committee had been disbanded and the funds disbursed. The Hospital Board dcciiied to forward a letter of thanks to the late chairman of the committee (Mr. T. P. Hughson).