HOSPITAL BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13394, 18 September 1907, Page 7

HOSPITAL BOARD.

Vn,- inuiilhly m,cling <■* »he South U.i.-t-bir.v Hospital and Charitable Ai. JWd- was held in the Borough Council Chamber* vi-su-nlay. Present: ,Meosrs JTalbot (chairman). Maslin. Lyall, Murf-h.-ilin.-. Coltman. and Craigie. CHAIRMAN* STATEMENT. The Chairman stated that Ultra was £1552 in the Hank, and payments I hat .lav would be £6BO 7s, leaving £B/0. 1 Ik* hospital accounts were £428 y» 2d, Charitable \'A £224 13s 3d, and Talbot Hospital £l7 4s 3d. Ail the- local bod.es bad paid their contribution*, aud-thi-ie was now £676 12s lid receivable as (,»- vernment subsdy. wheh would just about enable the Board to carry on untd Tlunext contributions Ixcains due-. There had been some cases of scarlet fever, and there were two or three patients in the Talbot Hospital just now. It was souk* time since, the first caws appeared, and the dis.ei.se had not become epidemic. 1 o.vsiblv the fact that- there was a hospital to receive the. first cases had prevented the. disea.-? becoming epidemic. In consequence of the ca«s coming in some extra, beds were needed, and these hail been obobtained at a. cost of about £3O. Some matters left to him, Mr Craigi,and Mr Maslin had been attended to.

The questional increasing the ward sisters' pay had been carefully looked.into, and inquiry made regarding the. rates elsewhere. After looking into all the circumstances they recommended that the salaries be raised from £52 to £57 after one years' service. This would entitle two sisters to .the increase.

He had seen Mr Leslie, the honorary electrician at the. Hospital, and after discussing the matter Mr Leslie was agreeable to withdraw his resignation. Mr Leslie had been very enthusiastic in the matter, and had done very great service. It appeared that some of the apparatus was defective, and Mr Leslie would bs willing to continue if the defects wereremedied and some improvements made. Some new accumulators were required, and to save carting the accumulators to and from town Mr LtGlie recommended the purchase of a second-hand dynamo, at about £6, and driving "it by pulley on the shaft of the laundry engine. If the dynamo referred to proved too small, a suitable one could be got for £l4 4or £ls. The X-ray apparatus had been much used and the. Board were much indebted to Mr Leslie for Lis gratuitous assistance in using it. He thought the Board should authorise Mr Leslie to incur the small expence he had mentioned. —(Hear, hear.)

On the motion of Mr Craigie, a vote of thanks was- passed to Mr Leslie for his past services, and that the apparatus suggested be procured. , ;

The recommendation that the sisters' s-alaries be raised £5 a year after a year's service was adopted. Two sisters will receive the advance. REPORTS.

A .short report by the Matron stated that one of the probationers had competed a, years' probation and was entitled to second grade salary. Some, old mattresses had been teased, cleansed, 'and recovered, as cheaper than buying new ones. The Steward at Talbot Hospital reported that, there were three scarlet fever and two measles patients in the hospital. All doing well. The return of patients dealt with in the Hospital during August showed that at date of last return there were 56 under treatment, and 42 had been admitted during the month.. There were 17 discharged . cured, 18 relieved, 1 a. incurable, and 7 dead. CORRESPONDENCE. Correspondence was received from the Pamaru 'Hospital Trustees regarding three South Canterbury patients, whose expenses totalled £32 10s. These were ca«s dealt- with some months ago, and no notice had been given, because they were .supposed to be from Kurow, whereas they were from Hakataramea.—The Board agreed to pay the claim. The Secretary to the: Auckland Jubilee Institute. for the Blind, asked the Board to pay at the rate of £25 a year for the , maintenance of a. young blind man of Tiinaru, for six months, to erfable him to, receive instruction in piano repairing; He was in tJis Institute from 1901 to 1903 and learned piano tuning.—lt was to sanction an expenditure up to £B, inquiiy to be made whether the parents' cannot make up the balance. CHARITABLE AID. The Secretary reported'on several new cases of charitable aid. A half-witted girl had been ' admitted to the Home for confinement of an illegitimate child. The circumstances rendered it necessary to receive her intent he Home. It was found impossible to get any information regarding the fatherhood, though the assistance of ths police detective had been invoked. A girl -who had been a long time in the Hospital had been boarded -out at Tenyuka. .

' Three persons, two men, and a woman had been received into the Home. Every bed in the men's side was full, and if any more come hi they must liave shake-. downs. Two men had left the Home, and the two wLo had come in would have been in excess of the bed accommodation. NEW BUILDINGS.

Mr Jas. S. Tumbull submitted plans for a Seddon Memorial (Children's Ward; and these were approved.

Mr Tumbull informed the Board thathe had prepared three sketch plans for a new Home, and had sent them to Dr. "Valintine. who had approved of one of them, with a few modifications. He had embodied these in a fresh plan which he proposed to send to Dr Valintine. A little conversation took place about funds for building, and Mr Craigie undertook when in Wellington next week, to see the members for the district and the Hon. J. Austey about getting a suitable sum placed on the Estimates. Mr Turnbull was instructed to prepare plans for next meeting for additions required at Waimate Hospital. The architect was also instructed to call for fenders for next- meeting for painting the hospital roof. ACCOUNTS. Accounts were passed for payment. These included Mr Turnbull's commission of 5 per cent, as architect for the laundry building, and 1 per cent on the machinery, as he had had a good deal of work in connection with the arrangement of the building to suit it.