HOSPITAL BOARD

Wairarapa Daily Times, 2 March 1934, Page 5

HOSPITAL BOARD

MEETING OP MEMBERS. The bi-monthly meeting of the Wairarapa Hospital Board, postponed from lasAEriday, was held to-day. Mr W. PisniK presided. Other members of the Board present were Messrs Bolton, Thompson, Smith, Parry, Court, Britland, Armstrong, Martin, Robertson, Richardson, Clark, Mesdames S. Fletcher, W. H. Jackson and Miss McKenny. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs Ewington, Dalziell and Dr. Sharp. It was reported that the general financial position was satisfactory. 1 ‘ It seems that we are not getting any further forward with this matter, ’ ’ observed the chairman, in commenting on the position regarding the Pongaroa Hospital, which the Wairarapa Board subsidises to the extent of £250 annually. Mr Fisher said he had interviewed Dr. Watt, the Director-General of Health, who had advised that the Government is averse to Hospital Boards taking over small country hospitals. He said several boards throughout the Dominion, acting on the advice of the Government, have leased their smaller to private enterprise, making grant in consideration that no applicant for admission to the hospital is turned away. “The hospital at Pongaroa is licensed as ap rivate institution over which this Board has no control except in the conditions it may lay down regarding the annual grant,” said Mr Fisher, in his Teport. ‘ * The Director-General of that the Board’s subsidy.TbSallocated between the two doctors the district and the hospital, and •intimated that the Board should not ac- > cept responsibility for the present bank overdraft. I concur with the suggestions and recommend accordingly.” After a discussion on various points of what is realised as a difficult position, the Board, on the motion of Mr Thompson, decided to inform the doctors concerned that the Board is not concerned with internal affairs so long as the subsidy is allocated for hospital purposes; also that the Director-Gen-oral’s suggestion be forwarded to the committee. “It was an eye-opener to me to learn that by law a patient eonld claim admission to any hospital, and that the hospital board taking the patient m could only claim fees if the case was urgent,” said the chairman, who added "that he was under the impression that thjgjfccould prevent their patients going inl!S*the Dannevirke Hospital. In order to settle the matter, the Board decided to make an agreement with the Dannevirke Board on the lines of the payment of half the usual fees. The chairman reported that as the result of an interview, the Director-Gen-eral of Health stated that he would recommend the purchase of a new ambulance vehicle for the Masterton Hospital. At a meeting of the Central Committee last month a letter was received from the Director-General of Health, asking the Board to review the matter, suggesting the transfer of the Greytown ambulance to Masterton. . The committee decided that the chairman interview Dr. Watt on the matter, and as a result of the interview the Director agreed to the Board's original decision. , , , , Mr Fisher also reported that he had visited the Wellington Hospital and inspected the food trolleys in use there, which he said were eminently satisfactory and would be of material benefit to l tho serving of food to patients in the > Masterton Hospital. tT PENAL ESTABLISHMENT. his is' not a penal establishment and any patient should have the riglu to leave the hospital at any time, ’observed Mrs Fletcher, when the subject of the discharge of patients on a Sunday was raised by the receipt of a complaint from a man, who in Ins letter stated that he had been advised that his son, a patient in the Masteiton hospital, was ready to leave at any time. He arrived at the Masterton Hospital on a Sunday and was informed that the rules of the hospital precluded discharge on a Sunday and that it would be necessary for him to return for his son on the Monday Ihe complainant stated that he lived 34 miles from the Masterton hospital. It was reported that the matron had informed the Central Committee that it was a rule of the hospital that pat, ients could not be discharged on a Sunday. , , ~ “No record of any such rule could be found when the minutes were searched,” said the chairman, who added that lie did not think the Board should object. He said they could not resevind a rule which was not m existence. The Board passed a resolution to the that it raised no objection to peJreffts being discharged on a Sunday and that the matter be left in the hands of the medical officers. _ When referring to the conditions which had ruled some years ago and the necessity to check discharges on Sunday Dr. Ilosking said he could not understand the matron raising objection to discharge in the case referred to. RECENT TETANUS CASE. At the request of the Director-Gen-eral of Health a report, prepared by the Medical Superintendent, Dr. Archer Hosking, presented at the meeting, is to be forwarded to the Director on the circumstances leading up to the death of the late David Evan Taylor at the Masterton Hospital on 3rd December last as a result of tetanus. The Board took the report in committee. On open meeting being resumed the Board decided on the motion of Mi; Thompson to obtain reports from Drs. N. H. Prior and O’Connor and that these be forwarded with Bi. Hosking’s report to the Director-Gen-eral of Health, and should he request a pA inquiry the Board is prepaied to hoM same. “The public will know that we are moving in the matter,” observed the chairman, who added there iveie a sorts of rumours about. It was decided to hold the next meeting of the Board on 20th April.