HOSPITAL BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18650, 20 August 1930, Page 12

HOSPITAL BOARD.

ORDINARY MEETING An ordinary meeting of the South Canterbury Hospital Board was held yesterday, the members present being: Mr E. Macdonald (chairman), Mrs M. E. Tilbrook, Dr. C. A. Paterson, and Messrs G. Dash. W. Geddes, A. Goodall, R. S. Griffiths, B. R. Macdonald, G. Saunders. G. D. Selbie and C. M. Ley. An apology was received from Mr J. T. Hay. The chairman extended a welcome to Mr Ley, who was recently appointed to represent the Geraldine County Council on the Board in succession to Mr McLeod. Mr Ley said that in taking the place of Mi* McLeod, he felt that he was following a gentleman who had rendered good service to the Board and the people whom he had represented. Correspondence. A letter was received from the Dir-ector-General of Health, Dr. T. H. A. Valintine. acknowledging the receipt of a communication from the Board, intimating that it had been decided to postpone the erection of an administrative block at the Hospital for twelve months. The Director-General, in the course of his letter, said: "May I congratulate the Board on this decision, which is in the interest of the Board and of the Dominion just now. I take this unanimous decision of the members as a personal compliment to myself.”—The letter was received. Mr L. B. Talbot, of Temuka, wrote suggesting that an appropriate name for the Temuka Maternity Hospital would be the "Tilbrook Maternity Hospital,” which was a record of many years’ unselfish service to the residents of that district by Mrs Tilbrook. She had spent her life going about doing good work.—The letter was referred to the House Committee. Miss Elsie Pryor wrote conveying to the Board her appreciation of its recognition of her success in the recent maternity examinations. She had found the post-graduate course a most interesting and profitable one to herself, and trusted that she would be able to reflect its benefits in more efficient service on her return to the Timaru Hospital. Medical Report. The Medical Superintendent reported that all the nurses who sat for the State examination in June had passed. Nurse Craig obtained honours. Nurse Barclay had completed her maternity training and had gone to the Temuka Hospital for three months. Nurses Craig and S. Mclntosh are recommended for promotion to be staff nurses. Owing to the bursting of a pipe in the recently installed calorifier, the Hospital was without hot water for 24 hours. It was recommended that a proper draining plug be put into the tanks, in case this should happen again.—Adopted. House Committee. The House Committee reported, concerning the Nurses’ and Midwives’ Registration Board, that a letter had been received from the Hospital Boards' Association advising that the Minister of Health had declined a request that the Association be given representation on their Board, and asking the assistance of Hospital Boards, with the co-operation of local members of Parliament, to obtain the desired representation. It was recommended that the proposal be supported. Arising out of the Medical Superintendent's report, the Committee recommended as follows: —That congratulations be extended to those nurses who were successful in their examinations. That Nurses Craig and S. Mclntosh be promoted to staff nurses.—Adopted. Social Service. The Social Committee reported that a letter was received from the Rev. H. Peat, chairman of a Coal and Blanket Fund, asking for a grant of £IOO to assist the funds, which are now exhausted. The Committee had ! referred the request to the Finance Committee, and in doing so. expressed the opinion that, whilst fully sympathising with the aims and objects of the fund, and recognising the good work already done, if such a sum was required for the relief of distress, it considered that it could be just as judiciously and economically administered by the Board as bv another body. Eight new applications for assistance were received, and six were granted at a cost of £B/11/6. Two applications were declined, as the Committee considered that the applicants' circumstances did not warrant the granting of relief. Of the total applications received, the majority were due to unemployment, and the Committee hoped that with the relief work now made available, there would be a lessening of the demands made on the Board's funds for assistance.— Adopted. Finance Committee. The Finance Committee reported that the Timaru Borough Council had notified that access would be given to the Hospital along the southern boundary, through the Park, during the Council’s pleasure, at a peppercorn rental. —It was recommended that the Council be thanked for its consideration. ! The following recommendations J were agreed to:—(1) Provision of ventilators in basement of Geraldine Hospital; (2) That the fees for Temuka Maternity Hospital be fixed as fol-lows:—In-patients 12/- per diem; use of theatre for circumcision operation 5/-; (3) Requisitions for equipment, Dental Department, Timaru Hospital and Temuka Maternity Hospital. Application by Coal and Blanket Fund for grant of £loo:—The Committee, after giving due consideration to this matter, endorses the opinion expressed by members of the Social Service Committee, as reported to the Board.

Cancer Fund:—Mr G. S. Cray waited on the Committee asking for a grant towards the Cancer Fund. After thoroughly discussing this matter, the Committee makes the following recommendation:—"That in the matter of the Cancer Campaign Appeal, this Committee regrets that the Board is so shortened and hampered in its finances by recent Government Departmental action that it does not know which way to turn for the expenditure mandatory on it. We recognise the splendid work done by the local committee, and we are in our institutions carrying a proportion of the cancer treatment work from day to day."

Remission of fees:—lt was recommended that £341/8/6 be remitted on account of patients’ fees, at Waimate Hospital. Accounts amounting to £5224/2/4 were passed for payment.—The report was adopted.