PROBLEMS APPRECIATED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 74, 19 May 1944, Page 5

PROBLEMS APPRECIATED

HOSPITAL BOARD DIFFICULTIES HON. A. H. NORDMEYER'S VISIT "Your Board is operating in a district which is obviously suffering from growing pains," said the Hon. Nordmeyer, Minister for Health, at a conference with members of the Whakatane Hospital' Board last Tuesday evening,. "There will," he continued, "be an increase even on your present responsibilities for I appreciate that with new buildings it will also be necessary to extend your present staif and plant. It seems that the Department must look into these matters and we shall see if it is possible to meet you in all reasonable respects." The. Minister was Avelcomed by the chairman, of the Board, Mr L. Buddie, who said he felt sure that the conference would be px-oductive of a clearer understanding _of the problems with which the Board was grappling . The question of hospital rating was one which loomed very largely at the present time, and likewise that of hospital accommodation. All Board members were humble proprietory people and were opposed to the method of financing the hospital by the method in vogue of penalising the land owner. On the. other hand the accommodation question had become so urgent that to extend the present buildings appeared to be the only clear-cut issue. They had therefore decidcd to go ahead and discharge their duties as a Hospital Board although it was realised that many problems would follow.

He thanked the Minister for the Department's decision to make a grant to meet the whole of the cost of the. new 'Chest Block' which would relieve the position substantially for the Board. As the institution grew he realised that a house surgeon also would have to be engaged. This again would mean new accommodation.

The Minister in reply said that hospital rating would be a major subject for the Government to deal with in the near future. The. reason why the Government had decided to meet the whole cost of. the 'Chest Block' was because it realised the undue burden which was being carried by Boards, with areas carrying a large native population. Thus the whole capital cost of a 20-bed block and 8 new beds in the Nurses Home was being met.

He thanked the Board for its work and said he realised how anxious it was to make adequate provision for the sick persons of the district, There were some who contended that the whole of hospital administration should be taken over by the Government. He was one who believed that the democratic method of allowing local persons elected' by the ratepayers to have a hand in this work, was preferable to beaurocratic rule, which was an anathema to the opinion of the great bulk of our people. lie hoped that the task the Whakatane Board had undertaken would be brought to safe completion in fulfilment of the urgent demands of the district.