NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1932, Page 11

NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL

BOARD'S MONTHLY MEETING CHAIRMAN’S REVIEW OF THE YEAR REPORTS FROM DEPARTJIENTS. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki Hospital Board was held yesterday. Present:. Mr. S. Vickers (chairman), the Rev. R. B. Gosnell, Messrs. A. Corkill, H. E. Blyde, J. Young, A. J. Brennan, J. Gibbs, J. Brown, R. J. Deare and E. Gilmour.

Reporting on the work of the board during the past financial year, the chairman said the erection of the George Tabor ward had been completed; also the new laundry block and workshops, the new boiler house and. coal bunkers, as part of the comprehensive building scheme inaugurated two years ago. The erection of the Tabor ward necessitated the removal of a considerable part of the isolation block. . This work had been carried out and the timber, iron and fittings taken from the old building had been used mostly in remodelling part of the isolation block, in the erection of a storage shed and in fencing in the hospital and Rangiatea Home grounds, while a part had been stored, for future use as occasion might require. The work of remodelling the old coal bunker as a bulk storeroom was well in hand.

Tin .new road, as part of the improvement scheme, had been formed and graded. Cement curbing was being put down where necessary. The metalling would be completed as soon as possible. A considerable amount of labour had been available under the No. 5 scheme and from recipients of relief in “standclown” weeks. Advantage had been taken of this to have much valuable and. necessary work done, including the cultivation of waste lands for vegetables for use in the hospital institutions. It was confidently hoped, that this departure would eventually effect a considerable saving in maintenance costs.

INSTALLATION OF RADIO.

' During the period under review the installation of radio in the hospital had been consummated. Thanks for this were due to the promoter of the scheme and the band of helpers who worked so hard to raise the necessary finance. The past year had been a particularly strenuous one on account of the abnormal amount of work carried out both outside and inside the institution. .This had been made much more difficult in consequence of the financial stringencies imposed upon them. His thanks were tendered to . the members of the board for courtesies and help given during this very strenuous period atid, while hoping to bo optimistic as to the future, he trusted that members would, as in the past, pull together in what might be a very- difficult year ahead. The measure of success which had been attained in working within the estimates was largely attributable to the loyal support and effort of the whole of the staffs.

On the motion of Mr. Gosnell votes of thanks were passed to the chairman, general manager and the staff, with special reference to the manner in which economics were accepted. The chairman and Mr. Gosnell were appointed to represent the board at the forthcoming conference at Wellington, to discuss the"scheme for the reorganisation of the hospital system. The latter stated that Taranaki was being watched very carefully from Wellington and he thought that the Taranaki hospital boards should confer before going to the conference.

A resolution was passed protesting against the appropriation of the Opaku reserve funds and appointing Messrs. Vickers and Blyde the board’s representatives at to-day’s conference. The resignations of Misses Coyle, Salisbury, Falkiner and Taplin were accepted with regret. The following names were added to the waiting list for probationers: The Misses K. H. I. Lennox (Auckland), N. D Hanson (Wellington), D. Blaka (Auckland), S. E.« Bennett (Christchurch). The Nurses and Midwives’ Registration Board notified that it had again forwarded the authorities a recommendation that owing to the short period of training, trainees for maternity work should have had two years’ post-primary education. TRAINING OF NURSES. Referring to a letter from the board regarding the Opunake cottage hospital the Nurses and Midwives’ Registration Board wrote that considering the circumstances as set out it was decided that provided the Hospital Board carried out its suggestion that only trained nurses be accepted for training as maternity nurses at this school, the appointment of an extra midwife would be waived in the meantime. It was proposed, however, that the question of staffing at the school should be renewed in 4x months. Recommendations adopted from the house and finance committee included the following: A junior assistant to be appointed for the X-ray department at a salary of £9l per annum, less 10 per cent, to live out. The request of the unemployed working at the hospital for the board to sell them tea and sugar and provide hot water for making tea was approved.'.The boiler attendants are to be informed that the board could not pay them overtime for time worked over 44 hours per week. The following tenders for supplies were accepted:' Poultry, V. Sisarich; (ish, V. Sisarich; bread, Messrs. Mays Ltd.; fuel, Messrs. Millward, and Co. (Egmont coal and slack) and Messrs. F. H. Cox (Westport slack, coke and rata firewood); meat, G. Tremlett. The radio committee will be asked to make inquiries regarding the elimination of interference with reception from the electrical machinery. Applications will be invited for the position of- radiologist at the hospital in accordance with the recommendations of the medical superintendent, duties to commence in approximately 18 months’ time.

The department is to be asked to subsidise the cost , of maintaining a clinic for the treatment of venereal disease cases on lines as suggested by the medical superintendent. A sub-committee consisting of the town members of the house and finance committee with Mr. Gilmour and the heads of different departments of the board, is to report upon the question of paying of overtime to members of the staff.

It was decided to ask the Minister of. Health officially to open the George l abor ward. It was decided to continue the ardingcnient with the Waitara, Freezing Works Sick Benefit Society for another year.

The medical superintendent, Dr. G. F. Rich, reported, that 238 (187) patients had been admitted in March, last year’s figures being given in parentheses. The number of patients discharged was 209 (161), died 10 (12), remaining 174 (154), highest number in one day 175 (156), daily average 161.13 (1-17.74), number of operations 147 (107). The masseuse, Miss E. M. Rutledge, gave the following particulars of her

work for the year: In-patients 313 (54 in March, 1032), out-patients 172 (35), treatments 764 (706). The matron (Miss B. A. Campbell) reported the following had gone off duty: On holiday leave, Sister Dew, Nurse Taplin, Sister Hind, Nurse Braddell, Nurse Syme; on sick leave, Sister Dew, Nurse Ballinger and Nurse McLeod; returned to duty: From holiday leave, Sister Wade, Nurses Denniston, Hayton, Opcnshaw, Patrick, Gr6y and Taplin; from sick leave, Nurses Best, Horner, Ballinger and McLeod. Staff Nurse Thorne completed relieving duties and left during the month. Nurse Page, having completed, her four years’ training, left early in the month. Nurse Gill resigned and left on March 24. Misses Drummond, Jackson, Satters, Brewer, Orchard, Park, Knell and Nolan had commenced on probation. Nurse Vautier had been on leave for a week owing to the death of her father.

The radiologist, Dr. H. B. Leatham, reported that in the 1931-32 year he had had 2232 patients and made 4255 exposures, in 1930-31 1956 patients and 3634 exposures, and in 1929-30 1649 patients and 3291 exposures. For March 1932 he had had 210 cases and made 389 exposures. The sister in charge of the Opunake cottage hospital reported that in March there had been seven admissions and seven discharges. The highest number in one day had been five, the average was 2.09, and two remained in hospital. There had been 37 visits to the antenatal clinic.

The matron of the Rangiatea Home reported that there were now 29 inmates at the institution. Five had been admitted during the month and five discharged. ~ , The bacteriologist (Mr. F. S. Hodson) reported having dealt with 848 specimens, comprised of 569 from the New Plymouth hospital, 49 from the Hawera hospital, 14 from the Stratford hospital, 194 from doctors in New Plymouth, six from Hawera and 16 from Stratford.