WAIPIATA SANATORIUM.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18636, 4 August 1930, Page 8

WAIPIATA SANATORIUM.

MEETING OF COMMITTEE. The Waipiata Sanatorium Committee met in Dunedin, there being present—Messrs J. Matheson (chairman), W. Bryant, E. Macdonald. A King, J. G. Johnston. J. Ritchie and Dr. T. R. Ritchie representing the Department of Health. Leave of absence granted to Messrs P. Aitken (Paerau) and H. Grenfell (Oamaru*. TV>° chairman rv \ T. R. Richie, as representative of the Health Department. The Denutv of the National Provident Fund, forwarded a r»-ro»vi~cr thp attention of Hospital Boards to the necessity of the production of satisfactory proof of age in respect of all employees who have joined or are joining the superannuation scheme.—Received, the secretary to get in touch with the staff so that the request be complied with. The Under-Secretary to the Public Work! Department. Wellington, advised that the charge to the committee for annual rental for water power licenses had been reduced to £2 10s.— The Department to be thanked. The Chief Electrical Engineer of the Public Works Department forwarded a report on a recent inspection of the electrical installation at the sanatorium; and the Medical Superintends er.t advised that defects mentioned in the report had since been attended to. Mr jasper Clark. Lovell’s Flat, wrote thanking the Committee for its resolution of thanks and appreciation of his services while representing the South Otago Hospital Board on the Committee.

The South Canterbury Hospital Board wrote advising that it was accepting liability for a patient who had been admitted from the Ashburton district.—Maintenance charges to be adjusted accordingly. The secretary to the Wallace Hospital Board advised that his Board's liability for the treatment of a Tuatapere resident in the Sanatorium would be considered and dealt with at next meeting.

The Medical Superintendent, Dr. A. Kidd, reported that on 30th June there were 114 patients in the institution, and with the exxception of 11 whose condition was stationary all were doing well or improving. He reported me result of his visits to different centres, and recommended for treatment in the institution one patient from South Canterbury, three from Southland, and one from Wallace districts. —The report was adopted. Matron Wilson’s recommendation re the appointment of a sewing maid to take charge of the linen store at the new laundry was approved, and a request for another sewing machine was granted.

The secretary submitted particulars he had obtained re a suitable X-ray plant of British manufacture for the institution, and his action in passing on the information to Dr. Kidd was approved. The secretary reported that at date of meeting the following Boards had patients in the sanatorium: —South Canterbury 35. Southland 28. Ashburton 15. V/aitaki 13, South Otago 9. Wallace 6. Vincent 1, Waipiata Sanatorium Committee 1: total 108. Of that number two had been in the institution for more than two years. 18 for more than one year, and 82 for less than one year. He advised that since the previous meeting 15 patients had been discharged, 10 with the disease arrested, three disease quiescent, and two improved. He submitted a waiting list of 26 patients, and as arrangements had been made for nine of these to enter the institution almost immediately, the list would be reduced to 17. the lowest it had been for some considerable time. —Report adopted. The farm manager reported on the milking herd, and the quantity of milk and meat supplied to the institution. Mr Ritchie, in the absence of Mr Aitken, reported on several matters affecting the working of the farm and institution, and stated that owing to a heavy fall of snow on the Rock and Pillar range the institution was experiencing a shortage of water, with the result that the standby plant had to be used for lighting, and there was not sufficient water available for running the new steam laundry, the installation of which was now completed. The question of employing a man with experience of race-work to take charge of the recent race and to connect the Capburn dam with the Committee’s storage dam at Hamilton’s, was left in the hands of Messrs Ritchie and Aitken to report to next meeting. The secretary xeported what had been done in the question of purchase of breeding sows, and his action was approved. The treasurer submitted a statement of the Committee’s receipts and payments since the previous meeting, and credit balances for capital and maintenance as at date. In this connection, the DirectorGeneral of Health, in view of the present financial stringency of the country, asked the Committee to favourably consider proposals to defer certain authorised capital expenditure for the present, so as to make the burden on the Associated Boards and the Department easier, and the secretary was instructed to advise the Department that if all the Hospital Boards in the Dominion can be persuaded to defer the bulk of their authorised capital expenditure this current year, the Committee was quite prepared to hold over the erection of the administrative and X-ray block, and the purchase of X-ray plant. It however, was of the opinion that it was imperative that the two cottages for members of the Sanatorium staff should be erected at once.

Accounts for building alterations, repairs, etc., to the farm hands’ quarters, and to the contractor for the storage dam, were authorised for payment, with other accounts, totalling £1622/13/8.

The secretary was directed to forward a letter of sympathy to Mr E. R. Wilson, the Committee’s architect, who is at present laid aside through illness.