WE’RE GETTING NOWHERE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1929, Page 13

WE’RE GETTING NOWHERE

CHILDREN’S WARD PROPOSAL PROTEST OVER CONTINUED DELAY MEETING OF THE HOSPITAL BOARD “If ever I have been disgusted with any scheme I have been connected with, it is this proposal for a children’s ward,” said Mr. S. J. Smith at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Hospital Board. “It goes on from month to month and we get nowhere.” The subject was introduced by a telegram, sent on July 4, saying the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy was pressing the question of the ward to finality with all possible speed and he hoped to communicate further with the board in a few days. Members expressed strong opinions on the continued delay in reaching a conclusion on the scheme and it' was finally decided, on the motion of Messrs. Corkill and Smith, that, failing a satisfactory reply 'from the Minister, the chairman should call a special meeting of the board. *•

If the Minister's pending coimnunication were not satisfactory, Mr. Smith suggested appointing a representative committee, on to which outside interests should be brought to help with their influence. In fact, he would like the whole board to go to Wellington to discussytho position. “We have reached the stage where we should go to the department and let it know we mean business,” ho said. “It is most disheartening.” The chairman (Mr, 0. 11. Burgess): We must wait to see what the Minister cays before we go to Wellington. He deprecated haste in view of the terms of the Minister’s telegram. Mr, Corkill: It is quite satisfactory. Mr. Young agreed that the position was most unsatisfactory and supported the suggestion to send a deputation to (Wellington. • “I was wondering,” he said, “whether the board should give way and let the department put the building where it wants to, in accordance with the recommendations of its eiperts.” The chairman: That is opening up a big question. The board’s architects and the medical superintendent agree with the board’s selection of a site. Mr. Deare: We know more about local conditions and requirements than any of their architects or engineers in Wellington.

Mr. - Young: The ward is needed so urgently that we want it at any price. The chairman said the board must move very carefully. He had had experience with this sort of thing before and had found there were two ways of dealing with a man. One was to use. a meat axe and the other to approach him quietly. Far more was to be obtained through the use of the second method. Present at the meeting were: —Messrs. C. H. Burgess (chairman ),‘C. H. Barnitt, R. J. Deare, S. J. Smith, J. Winfield, A. J. Brennan, J. Young, 11. B. Lepper, A. Corkill and S. Vickers. An apology for absence was received from Mr. E. Gilmour.

. : SUBSIDIES OX RELIEF FUNDS.

On condition that the proposed charitable relief committee paid all donations to the board, that all payments for relief of distress were paid from the board’s office, and that the committee kept no funds of its own, the DirectorGeneral of Health (Dr. T. H. A. Valintine) wrote that he agreed to subsidies being paid on funds subscribed for relief in the district. It would be necessary for the committee to keep records of all cases dealt with and that its proceedings should be submitted to the board for confirmation. ,

The chairman said the board had done everything the department had asked in the past. At his suggestion the general manager was instructed to apply for past subsidies. The Health Department advised that the Local Government Loans board had referred to its experts the board’s application to raise a loan of £25,400 for capital works and had asked for a re-port-whether they were necessary. The department knew very little of the proposals, except as far as they were specified in the estimates. The loans board would require sketch plans of all the building proposals. Mr. Deare protested against the amount of “red tape” involved in the application for the loam He considered there was duplication between the department and the Loans Board. The chairman said the Minister had promised to raise the question in Parliament. The Hawera Board seemed to favour paying 12A per cent, of the cost of work at the bacteriological laboratory, wrote a member (Mr F. Gillanders). His opinion was that the three boards should contribute on the same basis. His board had suggested a unit system. The letter was referred to the bacteriological committee. The following names were added to the waiting list for probationers: The Misses B. M. Cottier (Wanganui) and J. Craig (Hastings).

•SALE OF LAND, AND ESTIMATES.

The board adopted a recommendation from the lands committee to dispose of the board’s Pendarves Street property, Opunake cottage and Uruti cottage, but referred back to the committee for further information a proposal that the proceeds and subsidy should be used for the redemption of the mortgage on Francis’ farm and any balance to finance the surveying of the property, with a view to cutting it up for building purposes, fcjuch subdivision would include the road frontage.of the Old People’s Home farm. The revenue from the leases, with the land leased, would be set aside as an endowment for the board. On the motion of Mr. Corkill it was decided to obtain a price for painting the cottage at Opunake for submission to the next meeting. Estimates for the year 1929-30 were submitted under the following headings by the general manager (Mr E. Holden): Hospital: Estimate, £30,270; proportion for three months, £7567 10s; actual expenditure at June 30, 1929, £7695 lis Bd. Rangiatea Home: £2-113; £603 ss; £527 9a. Relief: £3850; £962 10s; £760 17s. Other institutions: £1000; £250; £193 13s. District nursing: £400; £100; £lO7 Is lid. Opunake hospital: £llo0; £287 10s; £297 17s lOd. Farm: £300; £75 • £53. Administration: xzzbv, 570’ £432 7s Sd. Refund subsidy, rent, rates and. interest, miscellaneous, loan renavmenfs and superannuation: £ll,976 3s sd; £2994 0s lOd; £3557 13s 2d. Total’: i»3,639 3b s<l; £13.409 15s IM; £13,625 16s Hid. . . ” Reporting on work at the main hos-

pital in June, the medical superintendent (Dr. J. M. Clarke) gave the following particulars, with the figures for the similar period last year shown in parentheses:—Patients admitted, 149 (174); discharged, 113 (138); died, 8 (10); remaining, 170 (175); highest number for one day, 177 (.175); daily average, 158.5 (155.13); operations, 98 (79), Two cases of diphtheria .and one of scarlet fever had been admitted.

Matron Campbell reported that Sister White had taken the position of night sister vacated by Sister Craig. Nurses Carrick and Vaughan had passed the State examination with honours. Nurseg O. V. Hill and M. Gordon-Glassford had resigned, having completed four years’ service. Nurses Barker and Gibb-Brown had been placed on the permanent staff and Miss O. Higgie had commenced on probation. The board congratulated the nurses concerned on their success in the State examination.

The radiologist (Dr. H. B. Leatham) reported having dealt with 163 patients and given 308 exposures. Miss E. M. Rutledge, masseuse, reported giving 776 treatments to 63 inpatients and 25 out-patients. After reporting on work accomplished in June, the engineer (Mr. C. E. Dunn) said coal consumption would be very heavy, owing to the scarcity of Westport coal to blend with the lighter Huntly coal. This shortage was not the fault of the contractor, ag 50 tons were ordered on May 7 but the boat was diverted. Coal in stock totalled GO tons.

Matron A. Hamann of the Old People’s Home reported there were 25 male inmates and five female. Gifts were acknowledged from Mrs. Sanders, Miss Norman, Mrs. Mason, St. Andrew’s Bible Class and an anonymous donor. At tho Opunake Cottage Hospital there were seven confinements, tw’o medical cases and nine discharges, reported Sister Mac Cormack. Two patients remained and the daily average was 3.46.

On the recommendation of the house and finance committee, it was decided that the district nurse’s car be put in good order and repair; that apparatus recommended by the medical superintendent bo procured for the Opunake hospital; that Messrs. S. J. Smith and R. J. Deare represent the board to act in conjunction with tho unemployment committee; that the board accept Mr. Knapton’s tender for the supply of milk and cream.