COUNTIES TO CONSIDER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 53, 19 March 1946, Page 5

COUNTIES TO CONSIDER

HOSPITAL AMALGAMATION QUESTION

INTEREST IN BAY OF PLENTY At the recent meeting in Whakatane of Ward No. 6 of the N.Z. Counties Association the chairman (Mr J. L. Burnett) stated that the Whakatane County Council was concerned with the steeply rising hospital costs which were reflected in the Whakatane hospital levy. The Whakatane County Council favoured the amalgamation of the Bay of Plenty Hospital with the Waikato Hospital,, but the Health Department had stated that it had at different times suggested that a new hospital and health district, be made which would em-* brace Rotorua, Taupo (part) and the three Bay of Plenty Counties. The Whakatane County was opposed to such a hospital district for the reason that having regard to the large Maori population the scheme would be too costly, and furthermore, owing to the relatively small population the specialist services would not be available in Rotorua or elsewhere in the district and patients would still be sent out of the district to Hamilton and Auckland for such specialist treatment. The Whakatane people wanted to see the best possible scheme adopted at the lowest cost to ratepayers.

On this matter a committee comprising representatives from the Bay of Plenty Hospital Board, the Whakatane Borough Council and the Whakatane County Council waited on the Finance Committee of the Waikato Hospital Board on Thursday, IVlarch 7. The Waikato Hospital Board was considering the submissions the Whakatane representatives made.

A copy of the statistics submitted by the Waikato Hospital Board to the Whakatane deputation was tabled.

The meeting recommended that Ward Counties consider individually what further action be taken herein.