HOSPITAL BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13808, 20 January 1909, Page 7

HOSPITAL BOARD.

"The monthly meeting of the South Canterbury. Hospital Board - was held at the Hospital yesterday. Present —Messrs F. R. Gillingham (chairman), J. Craigie, 1). Grant, T. Hawkey, J. ' Uolwell, 'W. S. Maslin, C. X. Orhell, G. Butler, G. Lyall, and T. A. Hart. An apology for absence was received from Mr Norton Francis, Mayor of ■"Waimate. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT. .The chairman said that ;the credit balance at the bank that clay stood at £llOO in respect to the general account, and £409 in respect to the Talbot Hospital. The receipts for the month totalled £ll2— £(ir 17s on account of patients' payments, and £4l in charitable aid refunds and sundries. Included in these, were the old age pensions received by the old people in the Home. The accounts to be passed that clay totalled £816,, including £370 on account of the general nospi- •' tal, £IOO on account of the Waimate Hospital, £4l on account of the Talbot Hospital, and £305 on jiccoimt of charitable aid. This would leave tnem with a very small credit balance and they would have to approach, the .Bank lor "assistance towards the end of V ' ,e month. The meeting that day would be a brief one as they had only routine work to do. On behalf of the 1-inance Committee he reported that the tenders for supplies had been dealt witjh and the following accepted:—Groceries, C.F.C.A.; bread, W. P. Lane; milk,' M. Seyb; meat, G. P. Gerrie and Co.; funerals, J. Lister: drugs, J. Baxter, 'file fencing of the new ' sanatorium site was just about completed; and arrangements had been made to have the fence between the site and the neighbouring owner, repaired. The neighbouring owner •would pay half the cost. \\ hen this •■work- was finished the site would, be well fenced. . The conference in regard to-the erection and maintenance of a sanatorium by tin? Ashburtcu, Waimate," and South Canterbury Boards, had. not yet been held, as it. was desirable that they should wait until they could" get the chief health officer to be present with them. He, was now on the West Coast. -.They might also get l)r Mason's advice when lie is here, as to the most suitable site lor the sanatorium, and the best locality in which to plant trees. After they" had settled these points they would be able to let the ground for a crop. The .committee set up to enquire into the cost of running the general hospital, and to suggest economies if possible, had met, hut hadonly partly completed their labours. They were getting information from other, hospitals and would like an extension of time in which to report. They would meet again before next meeting of the Board. The extension of time asked for, was granted. VISITING COMMITTEE.

Mr Butler, on behalf of himself and Sir Lyall, reported on a visit of inspection they had paid to the several institutions under the control of the Board, on Saturday last, and said that thev had found every ing going ou satisfactorily. There mts a font dram on the Otipua road in front of the Talbot Hospital property, which required attention, and he suggested that the Levels County Council should be written to and asked to have it improved. The secretary was instructed to write to the Levels County Council in terms of this suggestion. DK BETTS REPORT. Dr Bett, resident surgeon, reported that there were nine patients who ..ad been in the hospital over the regulation two months, but of these were yet fit to discharge. Everything was going on satisfactorily at the .Hospital. Patients were now few and far between, and lie understood from JJr Valintiue, that this!healthy state of affairs prevailed all over the Dominion at the present time. ""Long may it continue." said members of the Board in chorus. THE TALBOT HOSPITAL.

The caretaker of Talbot Hospital reported that there was only one patient in the institution at the present time, this being one ivho was suffering iron) scarlatina. Since last reporting three patients had been discharged. COKKKSPOXDKNCK. The "S.Vj. Insurance Company (Accident Branch) advised that on account of the increased liability um\or --The Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act T ' of last session, it would be no cessary to raise the premiums, slightly, but the increase in the ease of the Board, would not take effect until the expiry of the existing policy in April next. ilr Maslin said the extra charge would be very little. The chairman said it would be 10 per cent. Mr H. 11. Hall wrote stating that

ho had rofoivftl an account lor XT 11. on account of treatmont received by his child while in the Talbot .Hospital., but

he did not think that he should be called upon to pay this, as the chnd had contracted the fever while being treated for something else in tne general hospital. In reply to the chairman, Dv i.ett said it' was impossible to say positively whether the child had the germs of the fever- before she entered tne general hospital, or whether .she contracted the disease in the hospital, but lie was inclined to the belief tnat she had contracted it in the hospital. In three eases patients had contracted fever ui the institution, which had been Jet t. open to visitors right through the epi deniic, and there was no'doubt but that it had been carried in, in that way. * Mr Maslin said it would never do to admit responsibility in such .eases, if they did they coukt not tell' where they might be landed. Tne Hospital took all care but no responsibility, and he proposed the account should be collected.in tlie usual way. , .Mr Hblwcll seconded this, and Messrs Orbell and butler spoke in support of it, the latter -remarking .Unit one patient when leaving the hospital had lallen down and jbroKeii' a leg. and it would be just as reasonable for hint to claim free treatment for his subsequent period in hospital," as for .Mr Hall to exi>cct it. Jne Board had no proof that Mr Halls child did contract the fever in the hospital. Jlr Maslin said it would be a dangerous precedent to establish, if .tney wiped an account off the slate in the manner asked. Mr Craigie and Mr Hawkey took an" -opposite view aiid expressed the opinion that ilr Hall had a good" cae. Accoruing to the doctor, the child had most probablv -contracted the fever in tne hospital, and that being so, he »hould not be called upon to pay. On being put to toe meeting, the motion was carried. CHARITABLE AID.

The secretary reported that there were no fresh claimants for charitable aid and two old'men had died in the Home during the month, and-, another recipient ..of aid at Teniuka had also passed away. .Mr Russell reported on some other minor details. '" An account was received front tli" Stoke Orphanage for £Bl. The chairman said that this dated back to 1905 and was for two boys whose parents had died and who,had been sent from Pleasant I'oint to' the Orphanage. He thought that the Board should have had an account long before this. *'The boys were to be paid for at the rate of is per week, until they were 14, and he thought that one of them must be that age by now. Members agreed that the account should have been sent, in long ago. It was decided to pay it, and to make enquiry as to the age of the boys. The Board then- rose.