HOSPITAL BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 16612, 22 August 1918, Page 5

HOSPITAL BOARD.

" . MONTHLY MEETING. The South Canterbury Hospital Board' inot yesterday, all members present. " The chairman (Mr F. R. Gillingham), Welcomed Mr Walton, .a- new ieuresentative of the Borough" of Tiiffaru. ''.The chairman referred to the loss sustained by the district through the death of Mr 11. H. Rltodes, and on his motion, a vote of. condolence with the family was adopted. Souie official correspondence wa» read regarding increase of the massage service at the hospital. The Board regretted that it could not entertain the proposal until the new nurses' home is orected. ' Other correspondence, regarding the instruction of children in hospital, is dealt within the Medical Superintendent's report. . § REPORTS. --The patron reported that all was going well at tho hospital, and made recommendations for tfae promotion of 3S|irses- Brown and Ball, which tlw> lioard approved. i|The acting; Resident; Medical Officer eDr J. R. Cuthbert) reported that #jiring July 172 out-patients and 37 dental patients had been treated, and Xo operations had been performed, ©iree patients had "been admitted to the Talbot Hospital, one had been discharged, and nine are in the institution. jjTho Finance Committee .reported that i Paying the accounts—£l669th© debit balance would be £2lll but subsidies amounting to £3737 were now due. The committee, would «ubProposals regarding new buildings at. nest meeting; in the meantime certain preliminary steps could be taken. ; ...

«. 8 Hcrase Committee recommended the . adoption of the- plans submitted for_an infectious diseases Wock at Wnimate, arid for nurses' 'home" at "Kmaru. with a view to obtaining the Minister's consent to erect them. iP IO Health Inspector reported 9 1 eases of infections disease in the district, July 12th to Aiigust. 13 th. These v-five scarlet fever 10/' diphtheria, 7, tvherculosis 2, enteric 1. and erysipelas the- District xMaltJi Officer he,.had.sent to Christohjirch for analysis samples of water trmn tube wells at Point: superintendent. Or. I," s,p lalhot. in his- report dealt with the hospital, and th.e htva l?d..children in hospital,- and the suggestion of a massage school for nurses. - Mr Howard, long a member of the Education Board. Lad interested himself in the proposed of children who si 'epc time in hospital, and f>s a result of coirespondence with the Director of Kd' ojition it. had been-decided to start. «MX:ta»;=ior backward children -in the .; iii'.der thp . supervision - and rwitrcl r.f the ; Tijnn.ru South School .ajipareim.v the experiment! o" giving education to such children to lie Kied at Tmiaru. The Educati m Board JiMJ'i doubt ask this Bo.ini and ?W.Ms|'it<l» staff;, to w-pperhtci,nnd tijf the clnss a* success, AVitji regard to the massage class, Dr. Talbo:. could' xiof> bfr ♦ toj\; b* purcessfiil. on account of the fewness of nurses likoly t'o tako up the work a;id the difficulty of the dep!<sTsd medical ftafF <jf the town finding time % give the neoessqry theored-nl m. sgujivtion. As an alternative he sug-gw-ed si-leeting a nurse sifter oacli l:<Mf-yearly State examination, ; to he s|nt to one otf the larger hospitals to attend a J'lnssage class there, The r.raeticaV.!HMrfc.' of.'-toe. training could then be : carried out here. Ho vas leased to bo a£>le to report that of iSfe. nurses «1». attended the Stale all passed, three <raiuii!g nji?r ,7o per cent of marks, .njid r;, e KwpilaL compared very favourably vith: olhe.* ho'.toials in the; Dominion.

:.Dr. Ta]]iot expressed regret that lie continued unable to actively supe'intgud the working of the hosp vital. For lss.r.nst.t<vo months "Pr ; Outh'iert- Had carried'on, single-handed, under very c'reafc difficulties. _i)r"Tn!b'ot suggested that tlie JJoard miylifc c'orsider oofnmir.i: for a month the service? o? a. senior siuiic-nt - from Dunedin >to artist Dr. (jJ-utlil eit-'-Qno would be available rt|f):ith —and bo (Dr. wou'd p.-y fbv such assistance. If the Board could Sot see its way to adopt this arrangement, lib would l\e quite, willing to- ifetire t;, al'ow any other arrua»emont fo be in-tde. V"The 1 report was adopted. 1;A- iiuntber of_ charitable aid cases dealt with in committee, and this concluded the meeting.