H.—3l.

Nelson Hospital Board. —The additions to the Nurses' Home have been completed. Wellington Hospital Board.—Reorganization and additions to the eye ward have been completed. Palmerston North Hospital Board. —The new administration block is in course of erection. Wanganui Hospital Board. —The office block has been extended. The tuberculosis annex has been built and additional rooms added to the Nurses' Home. Taranaki Hospital Board. —Additions to the Nurses' Home are proceeding. Waikato Hospital Board.—Additions to the Nurses' Home at Hamilton Hospital are in course of erection. At Matamata Hospital a new nurses' home is being built. Wairoa Hospital Board.—Additions are being made to the women's ward. Hawke's Bay Hospital Board. —The erection of an administration block at the Napier Hospital is under way. Waipawa Hospital Board.—Extensive reorganization of _ the existing building is _at present being done. A new theatre block and medical administration block are also being erected. The heating and steam services are being reorganized. Auckland Hospital Board. —The extra storey to the women's block at Costley Infirmary is now completed. Bay of Islands Hospital Board.—The erection of a new ward, kitchen block, and additions to the Nurses' Home are proceeding. Bay of Plenty Hospital Board.—The additions to the Nurses' Home are completed. In addition to the above there are other proposals at present under consideration by Hospital Boards and the Department. The more important of these are— (1) Addition to the Westland Hospital and a new nurses' home. (2) Additions to the Grey Hospital and Nurses' Home. (3) Additions to the Masterton Hospital and Nurses' Home. (4) Additions to the Buchanan Home at Grey town. (5) Additions to the Wanganui Hospital. (6) Additions to the Dannevirke Hospital and Nurses' Home. (7) Additions to the Cook Hospital Board and additional accommodation for nurses. (8) New laundry at Whakatane Hospital. (9) Extensions to the wards at Tauranga Hospital and additions to the Nurses' Home. (10) Reorganization of and extensions to the Whangarei Hospital. (11) Reorganizing and extending the Te Kopuru Hospital. (12) A new administration block and a new office block at the Hamilton Hospital. (13) Tuberculosis annex at New Plymouth. In addition to the above the Wellington Hospital Board and the Auckland Hospital Board have for some time been discussing large extensions of available hospital accommodation. The expenditure under new equipment and hospitals is also showing increase. In order to keep step with the advancement of medical and surgical treatment, new and more equipment is constantly being budgetted for. Tuberculosis. During the year, in co-operation with the Palmerston North and Waipawa Hospital Boards, visits were paid to all the Hospital Boards in the North Island from Waikato southwards in order to interest various Boards in the setting-up in the various districts a travelling tuberculosis clinic. All the Boards interviewed showed great interest in the scheme, and expressed their utmost willingness to co-operate. Following this there is now in operation throughout this area of the North Island a system whereby a tuberculosis specialist visits the various centres in the Hospital Boards districts at regular intervals, and in co-operation with the medical superintendents and local medical practitioners examines and gives an opinion on any cases referred to him. It is hoped by this means to achieve the following objects: — (a) To follow up and keep under observation cases that have been discharged from sanatoria. (b) To follow up and keep under observation the contacts of actual cases of tuberculosis. (c) To arrive at an earlier diagnosis in the case of suspected cases so that sanatorium treatment may be instituted at the most favourable period. The services given by the tuberculosis expert are entirely free, and the two Boards administering the "two sanatoria pay all the travelling-expenses. The institution of this travelling clinic has involved the various Hospital Boards in no additional expenditure. They will, however, have some extra expenditure with the increased number of cases suitable for sanatorium treatment that must inevitably be discovered. Hospital Stores. —Purchase and Control. The Department finds it more and more necessary to direct attention to the importance of instituting rigid control both in the purchase of hospital stores and in their issue either within or without the hospital. The necessary routine in order to establish a reasonable 5—H. 31.

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