WAIMATE HOSPITAL TRUSTEES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12912, 1 March 1906, Page 3

WAIMATE HOSPITAL TRUSTEES.

Tue monthly meeting of the Waimate Hospital Trustees was held yesterday. Mr J. Sinclair, chairman, presiding over a nearly f:il meeting. The surgeon, Dr Barclay, reported that 12 patients were admitted J..rii;g the month, and six were previously if. iLe hospital. Ten had been discharged. 1.-lu;; fifjijt in the institution. Outpa-'.i'-ii.R numbered 14, of which nine were new. A letter from the Prime Minister's office

j :i.-ked whether the Trustees could give any ' assistance to the Government in their enie.vcur to increase the number of trained nurses in the colony by taking extra probationers, the Government paying £25 a. yeur for the keep of .each. The extra pnbadoners to be trained and examined. Dr Barclay evplained that in a small hospital there would net be work enough a*, a rule to keep two more probationers sufficiently employed. At the same time, if it were desired, the work could be divided among them and the advantage cf getting more nurses trained would be very great in the interests cf the district. At present the probationers were allowed to go out nursing if there way not much doing" in the hospital, end if there were fr.v.r instead of two th; pn'.-biTiicnei's cculd be uwe largely made use cf in that way. He thought it* likely tha-t the Government would ask them to take a Maori girl. Members thought it should be. a condition that the Trustees made the selection, to enstne that local girls were employed, who would be "likely to' remain in the district. It was decided to leave it to the chairman and Dr Barclay to obtain further information and report at next meeting. Miss Mary Geddes, of Glenavy. was appointed a probationer nurse. There was one other applicant, from Xorth Taieri, and the Trustees selected Miss Geddes because she was a local girl and might be expected to remain in the district The Trustees agreed to take an active part in co-operation with the Hospital Separation Committee. Nnree Gates sent in her resignation, which was accepted. The chairman, reported with regret that their old wardsman, E. Harding, was very ill, and not likely to recover. He had been in the service of the BoaTd for about- twenty yearss Accounts amountinig to £BB 5s Id* were passed for payment. .Dr Hayes, Inspector of Hospitals attended the meeting, and was .introduced to the Trustees, He spoke of 'the Hospital as a comfortable little place, built so long ago that he could not criticise it very seriously ; everything seemed to ,be going all right."