MEDICAL AID IN COUNTRY STRATFORD HOSPITAL

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1930, Page 8

MEDICAL AID IN COUNTRY

STRATFORD HOSPITAL

SUBSIDIES FOR ASSOCIATIONS. HOSPITAL BOARD TO TAKE ACTION. “I think if a deputation was sent to Wellington to interview the Minister, we would have a better hearing; I think we have a very good ease,” said Mr. J. O'Neill at yesterday’s meeting of the Suatford Hospital Board when a letter was read from the Whangamomona Medical Association asking the board to notify the Health Department that unless subsidies were paid on donations from medical associations they could not continue to employ medical ano nursing aid for people in the backblocks.

The letter stated the duty of the board was to provide hospital treatment in the centre and not in every village or town in the district. The association pointed out that the Tangarakau Public Works camp had an even stronger case than the Whangamomona association’s as the Public Works Department, had placed hundreds of families there who dicl not pay any hospital rate while the board was asked to provide medical aid at the camp. The association suggested that if .the board would move in the matter they could take action at the same time and “fight our case with the department.” Attached to the letter was a newspaper clipping enumerating certain voluntary organisations such as the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, each branch of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children, the Royal Humane Society, the Royal Life Saving Society and the Girl Guides organisation which, on pressure being applied in the House, had had subsidies renewed on the estimates.

In view of the visit of the ActingPrime Minister (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) to Stratford next week the board decided to ask him to hear a deputation from the board on the matter. The secretary of the Whangamomona Medical Association and the district engineer of the Public Works Department are to be asked to join the deputation. HOSPITAL BOARD. On a stout piece of cardboard about nine inches by three and bearing the New Plymouth postmark, a “letter” has been received by the chairman (Mr. W. L. Kennedy) of the Stratford Hospital Board. i"As this letter is obviously, public I assume that you’ll take all care to keep it secret,” Mr. Kennedy read the letter to the board yesterday. “That being so, will you kindly intimate on what diet you and your board thrive most —carrots or thistles? —Matthew XII, 37.” The passage mentioned in place of a signature isr "For by thy words thou shalt be 'justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”. GENERAL ITEMS. Charged with the theft' of a £lO note F. L. Boyes was again remanded at the Eltham Court yesterday. He will appear on Tuesday. Bail has been granted. The Stratford Hospital Board decided yesterday to make no charge for Xray examination in respect of in-pa-tients. This resolution was confirmatory of the usual practice of the board but was made necessary by an axivice from the auiit department. Plaintiffs obtained judgment in the following claims at the \Eltham. Court yesterday: Firth and Frank Ltd. v. H. Davey, £l7 7s lid (costs £2 18s); A. Andrews v. H. George, £7 (£1 Ils 6d); W. Ricketts v. Taki Williams, £l5 4s 6d (±4 16s); Newton King Ltd. v. 11. Davey, £2 8s (£1 7s 6d). Mr. M. McDonald, land agent, Stratford, has several going concerns and home properties on his books on easy terms. KING’S THEATRE. “LOST ZEPPELIN.” Some of the sound and picture sequences in “The Lost Zeppelin,” the Cinema Art Films’ release featuring Conway Tearle, Virginia Valli and Ricardo Cortez, which is to be shown at the King’s Theatre, Stratford, finally to-night, were taken from four, aeroplanes which trailed the Graf Zeppelin when she reached the Pacific Coast on her round-the-world flight. This was the first time in the history of talking and sound pictures that such an undertaking was attempted. “The Lost Zeppelin,” a talking and sound picture, tells the romantic story of the flight of fa Zeppelin to the South Pole, where it is wrecked. The romantic side of the story deals with a young naval officer on the Zeppeli- who believes he is in love with the wife of the commander. The husband knows this, aijd when the Zeppelin is wrecked he is confronted with the problem of leaving his subordinate to die or saving him. ELTHAM THEATRE. SCREENING OF “HELL HARBOUR.” The alluring, captivating, tempestuous Lupe Velez, little Mexican player who in two short years rose from obscurity to the heights of cinema fame, cavorts, fights, stampedes, dances, sings and loves in her new picture “Hell Harbour,” showing at the Eltham Theatre to-night. Lupe plays the madcap lass descended from the rugged Sir Henry Morgan, swashbuckling pirate chieftain. Inheriting all his love of adventure, courage and recklessness, Anita, the girl, is a veritable devil-child. Defiantly independent, she is given to wild impulses and daring exploits, and yet withal she has all the hidden softness and . sympathetic understanding of womankind. Men are not a part of her life, for she seeks an ideal. And when he does come she finds he is the man she Las planned to ruin. The story is placed in the Caribbian Sea in the days of the buccaneers, but whilst full of action and adventure it is not a “wild west.” This is one of the first pictures to be screened entirely out-of-doors and has all the beauty of the tropics for a background.

WORK OF PAST MONTH. MEETING OF THE BOARD. The medical superintendent (Dr. D. Steven) reported at yesterday’s meeting of the Stratford Hospital Board that 40 patients were admitted during October and 42 discharged. Two had died and 29 remained in hospital. There were eight out-patients. There had been 14 admissions to the maternity ward, where there had been 13 births. One patient was in the isolation ward. The superintendent said it was hoped soon to re-occnpy the women’s ward. The l~ck of the fireplaces that had been dismantled at the beginning of building operations had been severely felt by convalescent patients during the recent severe weather. “I trust the delay and inconvenience in connection, with the women’s ward will not be repeated in the ease of the men’s ward,” he comeluded. < The inatron (Mrs. J. Hunt) reported that Sister Flint left the hospital on October 21. Nurse O’Neill sat for the f-nal hospital examination on October 20 and passed. Nurse Battar commenced annual leave on October 26. Nurse Robertson was admitted to hospital on October 29 and discharged on November 7, resuming duty on November 15. Nurse Uldridge returned from annual leave on October 21 and Nurse Byrt returned for duty on November 3. District Nurse Myers reported having attended six medical and surgical cases last month. The Taranaki Hospital Board advised that it was of opinion that the bonus proposed to be given to the bacteriologist was unwarranted and that the 'chairman had been asked to bring the matter up at the next meeting of the bacteriological committee next month. There were present at the meeting Mr. W. L. Kennedy (chairman), Mrs. M. .T. Phillips, Messrs. M. Gernhoefer, J. O’Neill, E. S. Rutherford, G. P. Harkness and E. Marfell.