H.— 3.

The great want of this Hospital is a nurses' home. At present the accommodation in this respect is very deficient, and it will continue to be impossible to put the nursing-staff on a proper footing of efficiency until it is remedied. The trustees have long been anxious to put this right; and, now that they have found a means of getting the money, I hope they will thoroughly reorganize the whole nursing-staff, and so put themselves abreast of the other metropolitan institutions in this respect. All the other departments of this Hospital are satisfactory, and, as a whole, it is a credit to the city.

Akaeoa Hospital. Number of patients on 31st March, 1891 ... ... ... 4 Admitted during the year ... ... ... ... 17 Total under treatment ... ... ... 21 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 19 Died ... ... ... ... ... Eemaining on 31st March, 1892 ... ... ... ... 2 Sex. —17 males, 4 females. Locality from which Patients came. —Akaroa County. Nationality. —English, 9; Colonials, 6; Irish, 3; Danes, 2; Maori, 1. Beligion. —Church of England, 9; Eoman Catholic, 5; other denominations, 7. Total collective days' stay in hospital, 914 ; individual average days' stay, 43-50. Daily average cost per head, 6s. 9fd. Outdoor Patients, 15. BEVENUE AND EXPENDITUEE. Bevenue. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. From Government ... ... 155 16 5 Eations ... ... ... 100 3 7 Derived from North Canterbury Wines, spirits, ale, &c. ... ... 5 16 0 Hospital Board, of which it is a Surgery and dispensary ... ... 2578 branch hospital ... .. 155 16 5 Fuel and light ... ... ... 12 4 0 ! Salaries and wages ... ... 150 0 0 Other expenses ... ... ... 18 1 7 Total ... ...£31112 10 Total ... ... £311 >12 10 This is administered as a branch of the Christchurch Hospital. I visited it on the 12th March, and found everything in good order. The only patient was one old chronic case, who has been a sort of nest-egg for years.

COEOMANDEL HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1891 ... ... ... 1 Admitted during the year ... ... ... ... 9 Total under treatment ... ... ... 10 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 Died ... ... ... ... ... ... Eemaining on 31st March, 1892 ... Sex. —Male. Locality from which Patients came. —Coromandel. Country. —New Zealand. Total collective days' stay in hospital, 243; individual average days' stay, 24-30. Daily average cost per head, £2 os. 2d: ; less patients' payments, £1 19s. sd. Outdoor Patients. —Eight. Bevenue and Expendituee. Bevenue. £• s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. From Government ... ... 601 14 0 Eations ... ... ... 87 10 0 Local bodies ... ... ... 200 0 0 Surgery and dispensary ... 28 13 0 Subscriptions and donations ... 336 10 0 Fuel and light ... ... 960 Patients'payments ... ... 9 16 0 Washing and laundry ... ... 10 0 0 Balance from last year... ... 59 12 8 Salaries and wages ... ... 343 8 8 i Printing, advertising, postage, and stationery ... ... ... 3150 Insurance ... ... ... 550 Paid to Mercury Bay Hospital Committee... ... ... 691 18 0 Total :.. ... £1,207 12 8 Total ... ... £1,179 15 8 The time has clearly come for closing this Hospital. A great many persons when taken ill in the district prefer to go to Auckland for treatment. The number of patients treated during the year was only ten, and each of these cost the colony two pounds a day.

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