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8
In the early part of the year the new Wards, which were commenced in 1894, were finished,
and the Hospital now consists of a spacious administrative hlock, with ample accommodation for
the Matron, Nurses and servants, and of four Ward blocks, two of which contain two sets of two
Wards (male and female) for the treatment of two distinct infectious diseases at tlie same time..
Of the otlier blocks, one, the larger of the two, consisting of two Wards, is used for the treatment
of Scarlet Fever cases, which 1 may say have up to the present time been far in excess of
any other of the diseases treated here, and the other block, also consisting of two Wards, is used
for Diphtheria cases.
Eight of the Wards are fully furnished, and the remaining 4 could be made available in a
case of emergency in the course of a few days.
In tlie first quarter of the year there were 70 patients treated, all of them suffering from
Scarlet Fever, and on two occasions there were 60 patients at the same time under treatment.
During the last half of the year there were some exceptionally severe cases of Typhoid Fever
and Diphtheria; these entailed very arduous duties upon the Matron and Nurses, as also did the
care of the large number of cases in the first quarter, though fortunately most of these were not
of a severe type. I cannot speak too highly of the efficient manner in which the nursing has
been carried out, and I need hardly say that this confidence has materially lessened my anxiety
as Medical Attendant at the Hospital.
The resident staff at the Hospital at present consists of the Matron, three Nurses, Cook,
Laundry woman, first and second Ward-maid, and first and second House-maid. The duties of
the Matron have of necessity (owing to the large increase in the Hospital buildings and the
consequently larger number of Nurses and servants required, as well as the supervision of the
laundry), been materially altered, inasmuch as this general supervision leaves her but little
time for nursing; and I believe that the Hospital can be better and more economically worked,
when the Matron devotes her time mainly to superintending the nursing, domestic, and laundry
requirements, rather than by acting in the Wards as an ordinary nurse.
The Nurse last appointed (as Night and Ambulance Nurse) entered on her duties on the
13th of May, the second House-maid on the 22nd of March, the second Ward-maid on the
25th of March, and the Laundry woman on the 29th of July.
There has been extra help in the laundry (necessitated mainly owing to the much larger
quantity of washing required in the Typhoid cases) to the extent of 4 weeks, and extra Nurses
have been obtained during a total, for the year, of 36 weeks. It has been stated that when
the last Nurse was appointed, the Hospital was already over-staffed, and that extravagance is
displayed in employing too many Nurses, and that the number of Nurses must necessarily depend
upon the number of patients, whereas, as a fact, this is not so. Suppose, for instance, that
there are under treatment three cases only of different infectious diseases, say, Typhoid Fever,
Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria. Each of these cases will require a separate Ward, with two
Nurses, one for day and the other for night-work, thus necessitating the employment of six Nurses
for three patients, or two more Nurses than we already possess in our present staff. It must also
be remembered that some of the severer cases of Tyjihoid Fever require the assistance of at least
two Nurses to efficiently perform the duties incidental to such cases.