H.—3l

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patient. When the Hospital was taken over at Hanmer the activities previously carried on by the Tourist Department were also taken over, and what was previously the Sanatorium has been amalgamated with the Hospital under the control of the Medical Superintendent. The Pukeora Sanatorium, now that the number of " service " patients is diminishing, is accommodating more civilian patients, and is available to all the Hospital. Boards of the North Island. In. addition, the Cashmere Military Sanatorium, Christchureh, is to be taken over at, once from the Defence Department, as also the Military Hospital, Trentham. The control of the first of these institutions will, it is expected, be assumed by the North Canterbury Hospital Board, and wisely so, as the Military Sanatorium is next door to the large Sanatorium which has been developed by the North Canterbury Board on the Cashmere Hills, and will therefore be best administered by that body. The following arc, statistics for the year ended 31st March, 1922, relating to patients treated at the institutions (other than maternity hospitals) administered by the Health Department:—

Statistics of Patients for the Year ended 31st March, 1922.

King George V Hospital, Rotorua. The number of children accommodated at this hospital has gradually increased during the year, and the number of " service " patients has diminished. Apart from these classes of case the hospital is being used for ordinary hospital purposes for Rotorua and the surrounding district, and as such is discharging a most useful function, over two hundred patients from the district having been treated since July, 1921. Crippled children from all parts of the North Island have been admitted to the Hospital, and the treatment received by them has been productive of great good, fully 95 per cent, benefiting, many of them to a remarkable degree. It is to be hoped that the excellent work done at Rotorua in this way will not be interfered with in any degree by prevailing conditions of economic stringency. A tribute must be paid to the excellent work carried out by the medical staff, nurses, and masseuses at this Hospital. The special school established by the Education Department at the Hospital has done splendid work, and the improvement produced in the children as the result of its activities has been most noteworthy. Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer Springs. Increasing numbers of non-service patients are being treated here, but men only so far, and tho usefulness of the Hospital will be very materially increased when it becomes possible to admit women for treatment. This it is expected will be accomplished in a short while. The building of a suitable new block for women patients, together with accommodation for the nursing staff, is a matter which must receive attention as soon as it is possible to do so. Otaki Hospital. This Hospital has done useful work as a small district hospital during the past year. Its usefulness would be materially increased if extensions were made so as to allow the admission of maternity cases. Otaki Sanatorium. This Sanatorium has remained in constantly full occupation during the year and has done excellent work. A commencement has been made with additions for the accommodation of the nursing staff, and a house has been built for the Medical. Superintendent.

King George, V. Hospital. Queen Mary Hospital. Otaki Hospital. Otaki Sanatorium. Pukeora Sanatorium. Number of patients in hospital at commencement of year Number of patients admitted during year 234 633 80 390 8 138 36 71 137 276 Total admitted 867 470 146 1.07 413 Patients discharged cured Patients discharged relieved Patients discharged unrelieved Patients who died Patients remaining in hospital at end of year 251 273 116 17 210 102) 218) 67 1 82 103 20 14 9 50 17 2 38 2151 48 13 130 Total patients treated 867 470 146 107 413 Average daily number of patients treated Average mean residence (in days) Total number of deaths within twenty-four hours of admission Pate of mortality per cent, over total cases under treatment Total number of operations performed Rate of mortality per cent, of operations 189 95 2 1-73 78 71 Nil. •213 93 24 3 7-5 6 mos. Nil. 1-8 135 120-26 Nil. 3-14 279 Nil. Nil. Nil. 23 4-25 Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil.