Galway Hospital, Board of Management Minutes, 1908-1910

Includes:

Extract of letter from Countess Isobel of Aberdeen stating ‘It has given me great pleasure to go round the wards of this Hospital, and see all the efficient and kindly care given to the patients.
I trust the time may soon come when the Hospital authorities may be given the means of providing a special annex for the treatment of consumptive patient’ (4 July 1908, p5).

‘I have the honour to inform you that, in accordance with the public Bodies Order, 1904….
The financial condition of the Hospital is unsatisfactory and I would recommend the Committee to take steps towards paying off old liabilities before contracting new ones’ (30 September 1908).

Transcript of letter from Rev Dr J. Clarke, Spiers Houses, Shantallow to the Hospital Board stating, “Some time ago I had reason to complain that patients belonging to the Presbyterian Church were admitted into your Hospital and registered as protestants.  Although they remained for a considerable time no intimation was conveyed to me that members of my church were under treatment there.  I was at pains to explain what the case required and it was arranged that when Protestant Patients were admitted there would be a specific entry of the particular Protestant Church to which the patient belonged, and in case it was a Presbyterian I was to receive a card in course of [post]. Notwithstanding this I had again reason to find fault with the action of your officials in this matter.  I was on the point of writing to the then Chairman, but I refrained, as I still hoped that I could secure a satisfactory working basis without invoking the aid of the Governors…..’ (31 October 1908).

‘After transacting the urgent business Mr Thomas Ryan, in a most touching speech made reference to the many good qualities of the late Mr J.C. McDonnell, and the very great loss his early demise will be to the many public bodies of which he was such an excellent member, moved that we now adjourn this meeting as a mark of respect to the memory of our Chairman late Mr J.C. Donnell’ (18 September 1909).
‘Resolution was read from the Glennamaddy Union… “That we, the Board of Guardians of the Glennamaddy Union, strongly protest against the proposed attempt to increase the assessment on the contributory Unions in the county, towards the upkeep of the Galway Hospital. We are already paying £100 a year towards the maintenance of the Infirmary, which is exhorbitant (sic), and a gross injustice from which we derive no benefit”…(20 November 1909).

‘The medical staff have reason to believe that the additional charge for maintenance in the Hospital is preventing patients for whose benefit the Hospital was established taking advantage of it, and suggest that the Board of Management should seriously consider the advisability of reverting to the former charges’ (30 November 1909).