STRATFORD HOSPITAL

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1935, Page 6

STRATFORD HOSPITAL

COMPLAINT FROM ASSOCIATION. MONTHLY MEETING OF BOARD. The Stratford Hospital Board met yesterday, there being present Mr. W. L. Kennedy (chairman), Mesdames D. Shannon and M. T. Phillips, Messrs. M. Gemhoefer, G. P. Harkness, J. Cormick and T. R. Anderson. Fifty-four patients were admitted to the hospital during January, reported the superintendent, Dr. W. Brown, and 42 were ‘ discharged, leaving 32 in hospital. Other details of the month's work were: Out-patients attended 31, admissions to maternity ward 14, births in ward 14, visits to ante natal clinic 66, operations 22. The hospital was visited on January 19 by Dr. Shore and the technical adviser, Mr. 'Reid, to look into further accommodation at the hospital. He conferred with Dr. Watt and the chairman on January 25 regarding reorganisation of the staff,'ereported Dr. Brown.

From October 1 to December 31 four cases of scarlet fever and one case of infantile paralysis were reported, stated the inspector of health, Mr. R. Gooding. The scarlet fever cases occurred in one family. Two cases occurred on November 25, and the remaining two were contracted simultaneously on December 21. The latter two seemed to be a following of the first two, despite precautionary measures. The council of the Stratford Hospital Association forwarded the following motion passed at its last meeting: “That this council, representing over 800 contributors to the Stratford hospital, objects to the provisions of clause I in the report submitted by Dr. M. H. Watt and adopted by your board at its last meeting, on the grounds that no good reason has been advanced that in the opinion of the council'can justify so substantial an extra charge as 3s a day in the maternity ward.” The council, in explanation of the motion, stated that under date January 12 it sought information from the board relative to any proposed changes at the hospital necessitated by the adoption of the new policy enunciated by the board. No advice had been received and consequently the deliberations of the council were based on newspaper reports, which it had taken as representing the position fairly. Members of the council failed to see why the assistance of an outside doctor should be subject to any extra charge on the daily rate, which presumably covered all 'charges relating to the maintenance and treatment of a patient and therefore threw no extra burden upon the finances of the board. The council noted that the patient would have to make her own arrangements with her doctor, if other than the medical superintendent. The council asked, if the extra fee of 3s a day were to be retained, on what grounds it could be justified. Having in mind the opinion generally held by the public of Stratford the residents of contributing local bodies that the appointment of a full time medical superintendent was an essential step towards the establishment of an open hospital, the council expressed its disappointment at the action of the board as disclosed by Press reports covering the business of the last meeting of the board. Advice having been received from the board’s solicitor that the hospital bylaws were still not ready, the letter was held over until the rules came up for consideration again. SUN BLINDS ON SHOPS. COUNCIL REFUSES REQUEST. A request, made in a letter from 15 Stratford retailers to the borough council on Monday night, that retailers should not be compelled to take down sun blinds at sunset, was refused by the council, which supported the works committee’s recommendation that the bylaws be complied with. Cr. C. R. Finnerty questioned the need for so much severity. In other towns, he added, shopkeepers were permitted to have the blinds down to within 4ft. 6in. of the street. The Mayor, Mr. J. W. McMillan, contended the council had treated the retailers very fairly and, seeing that it had provided community lighting to brighten the town, the retailers could reasonably be expected to observe the sun blind by-law. , He had noticed that one retailers blinds obscured some of the verandah lights and spoilt the effect of the community lighting, Cr. W. P. P» Gordon