HOSPITAL BOARD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16359, 23 February 1921, Page 7

HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING, cS?Ub2°sgk h *y Otley presiding-. J - Brs M. Bevan Brown and Saunders, who “ U ° tted , to Christchurch as house \>ere duly appointed, their duties on March 5. Ihe Hospital Committee renorted t-hat the nospital te.ua tor the month were us follows: Hospital: Civilians £7Bl C-b • cl, soldiers £974 ss—£‘l7ss os 7d; Akaroa Hospitn! £3. itaikoura Hospital £37 9d, .Lyttelton casualty ward £l4 19s. GHord Hospitai £2 4s 6d. Walkari Hospital £l9 4v; total £lß6l 4s 10d. The average daily number patients in hospital during January wani 271.9. In the genito urinary depart- | ment there vero 323 attendances, representing eighty patientE, twenty-one of whom j were new. Arrangements were being made ' for the admission of a few suitable cuses i t-o tiie Chalmers' Wards. The .Department cf Health wrpte stating that the Commission on hospital subsidies had been postponed until after the Easter holidays Tho chairman and secretary (Mr W. S. Wharton) were appointed to give evidence before the Cotamissicn. The Department of Health also wrote stating that the special military hospital at Hanmer was available for the reception of u limited number of civilian patients (men only) suffering from neurasthenia. Approval was received for_ the payment of a grant of £SO to the men’s branch of the Social Hygiene Society. The Public Health Committee reported that the notifications of infectious disease during January were as follows: Scarlet fever 3, diphtheria 22, tuberculosis *23. Cere-bro-spinal meningitis 1, poliomyelitis *2O, hydatids I, pneumonia 7. influenza-pneu-monia i, varicella % ophthalmia neonatorum 2. There were now twenty-one cases in the Infections Diseases Ho3pit.il The In-spector-General of Health approved of tha suggestion of tha committee to transfer all infectious cases to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, and suggested that a medical officer from the Christchurch Hospital resident stuff should be sent there to reside for periods of three months, in The posal although it might not be possible to accommodate all tho oases occurring until additional buildings were erected. With reference to the clause ill Dr Blackmore's report referiiug to the women’s shelter belonging to the Wairau Hospital Hoard, the committee desired to state that the skelter had been occupied by a nominee of the Wairau Board dr.ee August 20. 1918. and was stiil so occupied. The board was recommended to continue tho agreement with the Grey Hospital Board for two years, with a right of renewal; with the Westland Board for five years, and with the Wairau Board for three years. Two years ago Dr Paget had donated a- shelter to the i-iano.torium for the purpose of housing a r.urao who had contracted tuberculosiß in the course of her duty. The patient's friends paid all the ! fees and she was cured. Dr Paget now usked the hoard’o consideration with regard to another person, who contracted an ailment in the course of nursing duties, end the committee recommeded the application for favourable consideration. The report was adopted. The Finance Committee reported that the successful tenderer lor the Coronation Hospital had not signed Tie contract and the committee therefore recommended That the work should be proceeded with by day labour, under the supervision of the board’s clerk of works. Ab a matter of urgency the preliminary work was already in hand. 3he letter of the Westland Hosuital Board —asking the board to contribute the aum of £26 per annum to Dr Bathgate, of Otira as a subsidy to enable him to attend th* workers at Arthur’ • Pas* at 10s 6d per visit—was considered, and the board was reoommended to agree to the proposal, as the district was v/ithin the .North Canterbury urea. The board was recommended to agree to the request of tha Engineers’ and Firemen’s Union that the board should concede to the engineers on the staff one week, on full pay. in each six months, or two weeks in each year. Owing to the award of the Court in connection with local bodies’ clerks and office employees, the committee had arranged to make tho necessary adjustments in connection with the board's .staff. The report was adopted.