HOSPITAL AFFAIRS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1927, Page 8

HOSPITAL AFFAIRS.

BOARD’S MONTHLY MEETING. REPORTS OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS The monthly meeting of the Stratford Hospital Board was held yesterday morning, Mr. W. L. Kennedy presiding. Present : Messrs. E. Marfell, J. Belcher, J O'Neill, VV, H. Were, G. P. Harkness. R. V. Kay, C. R. Finnerty (Borough Council representative), and the secretary, Mr. T. H. Penn. On being elected as chairman of the board in the place of the late Mr. C. D. Sole, Mr. Kennedy said he hoped that the same good feeling would prevail between himself and the Board as had prevailed between Mr. Sole and the members. The medical superintendent reported that during August 45 patients were admitted, 42 were discharged, and two died. Thirty-six remained in hospital at the end' of the month. Fourteen operations were performed. In the maternity ward there were 12 admissions and 11 births. There were two civilian and one soldier outpatients. The isolation ward opened on August 24 and was still open. The necessary litera-i ture, charts, etc., had been received from Dr. E. Gurr, and an anti-natal clinic was now open each Wednesday afternoonThe matron (Mrs. J. Hunt) reported that Sister Irene Gibbs left the hospital on August 23. Sister M. K. Stevenson commenced duties as sister in charge of the maternity annexe on September 1. Miss R. M. Black commenced duties as staff nurse in the general wards on Al ust 25. Miss Phyllis Fraser commenced maternity training on August 16. Miss Mona Beggs completed maternity, training on August 14 and left the hospital. Miss Helen Scott completed her midwifery training on September Iff and left the hospital. Miss Margaret Mounsey commenced annual leave <_n August 23. The medical officer at Tangarakau reported that the total number of patients treated was 41, 25 in the district and 16 at the surgery. The ‘ total number of visits paid was 190, 145 in the district and 45 at the surgery. There had been one birth. Two accident, cases and one infectious case (scarlet fever) were sent to the Stratford Hospital. The month had been particularly free from general sickness. The district nurse at the camp reported the general health to be very good. Visits to the number of 145 were paid to 25 patients in the district, while 45 visits were paid by 15 patients to the surgery. One hundred and eleven bottles of mixture and 26 dressings were issued. The district nurse at Whangamomona reported that four medical and surgical cases had been attended. HEATING QUESTION. In reply to an inquiry by the Stratford Board the Tauranga Hospital Board advised that there were no fireplaces in the hospital there, although the nurses’ home had fireplaces, it having been the old hospital building. Electric radiators were used for heating in the actual hospital. The radiators originally put iu had been insufficient and stronger ones had been installed. The average number of beds occupied per day last year had worked out at 25775. Their accounts for power for the hospital and home had come to £707. The stall quartered in the home numbered 20, so that it was difficult to say what the actual cost per occupied bed (patients) had amounted to. —Received. The Local Bodies’ Association wrote forwarding the following resolution passed at the last meeting of the association: “That the executive confer with the local hospital boards relative to suggested amendments to the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act, with a view to arriving at a more equitable basis of levying than pertains at present.” The association’s committee desired to know when it would be convenient for the board to meet the committee. It was decided to inform the association that two delegates, the chairman and Mr. O’Neill, would attend such a meeting when arranged. Details of the -.mount levied on local authorities in the Taranaki district by the respective hospital boards for 192728 were also supplied by the association as follows: —Taranaki Hospital Board, £14,612 14s; Stratford Hospital Board, £3,284 9s 8d; Hawera Hospital Board, £12,763 16s; total, £30,660 19s Bd. Of this amount boroughs and town districts contributed £9,302 3s, while counties contributed £21,358 16s Bd. The following comparisons were given: In the Taranaki hospital district ' wn inhabitants paid 6s Gd per head and county inhabitants Ils: in the Stratford hospital district town inhabitants paid 3s Gd and county 8s 4d; in the Hawera hospital district town inhabitants paid 7s 9d and county J6s lid. Ensign Pratt of the Salvation Army, wrote expressing his gratitude and appreciation for the ckiil, attention, and courtesy received by him from the staff during his stay in the hospital as an inpatient. It was decided to re-appoint the old visiting committee. It was resolved to thank the borough electrical engineer, Mr. A. E. Moss, for his report in regard to heating the hospital by an electric system, although it was decided to take no action in the matter at present. It was further decided to overhaul the heating system as soon as circumstances permitted. PROPOSED TAXI STAND. NO REPLY FROM RAILWAY BOARD. “If the Railway Board takes so long in reaching a decision over a small matter like this, one wonders how , they manage to run the railways at all,” said the Mayor on Monday night, in reporting to the General Purposes Committee that although it was nearly three months since representations were made in person to the board for permission to allow taxis to stand at the broad station entrance, no reply had as yet been received. Mr. McMillan drew attention to the fact that before the grass plots which previously decorated the station entrance had been removed, there had been no congestion of traffic and, as a taxi would occupy even less space he could not think that objection on the grounds of congestion could bo seriously considered.