N.Z. HOSPITALS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17119, 14 April 1921, Page 6

N.Z. HOSPITALS.

COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TKLEGBAIf.) WELLINGTON, April 13. The Hospital Commission resumed it '• sitting to-day. E. Killich gave a comprehensive ro view of the whole hospital and cliarit able aid legislation and administration Regarding the subsidy system, witneai j said that one factor taken into oan> I , siderution was that tho amount of Uu ' capital value per head of population was considered an index of tiie weilHtl of a. district. . That, however, fit not alwuys tho < case. Another falitor considered was that expenditure mi presumed to, mean extravagance, i whereas it did not necessarily mean extravagance. Under the propoMd ! scheme it was assumed by the Depart- j ment that neither of theso considerations was correct. Tho whole scheme was framed to try and bring about an equal rate all over tho Dominion. Tho whole question of voluntary cotitrilm* tions was really beyond the Department. It was a question whether the . Government could Btand the increasing expense. Regarding fees, witness was inclined to loan towards a uniform fee of £3 3s per week. Friendly Societies should, he thought, he charged half that fee. Dr. Wylie, head of the Hospitali Branch of the Health Department, stated that tho establishment of private or paying wards was desirable, especially in small and medium-sized towns, in order that hospital activities might bo concentrated and all possible facilities made available to every section of tho community. Paying patients in' such wards would have the medical men of their choice. Few places in New Zealand outside tho largo centres could adenuatelv develop both a good publio hospital service and a {good nrivate hospital service. Base hospital* were e*- # pensive to institute and maintain properly. Ho was of opinoin that only a certain number could bo adequately developed in the Dominion. He held that other hospitals in a district in which a base hospital existed should bt' definitely affiliated to it for special purposes, that base hospitals should receive a srecial grant or subsidy totalling £50,000 a vear for the whole Dominion, to enaEle them to fulfil properly their functions and develop tho necessary special departments. The officers of the Department had considered the grouping of various hospitals in tho Dominion, and their recommendations wore that the following affiliations be carried out:—Bay of Island* with Whnngavei base hospital, Coromnndel and AVnihi with Thames, Inangahua with Grey, Pictnn with Wairan, Wallace and Fiord with Southland, Whangn* roa, Mangontii, Hokianga, and Kaipara with Auckland, Tnurangn and Bay of Plentv with TCotorua, Taumarttnni with Waikato, with Cook. Wairoa and Northern Waipawa with Hawke's Bay, Southern Waipawa with Palmerston North. Stratford and ITawera with Pntea, Ashburton with North Canterbury, Vincent', Mnniototo, and South Ota go with the Otnjro baso hospital. No affiliations vero recommended in respect of. the Wnirarapa, Wellington, and South Canterbury Hospital Boara districts. He was firmly convinced that a considerable field existed for the Department to institute more rconomio methods of hospital administration, parin purchasing hospital supplies of all descriptions. A new officer, an inspecting steward, hnd been rere ntlv appointed, whose du ies would be to visit and inspect hospitals, particularly in connexion with these matters. He felt suro that as a result of his appointment substantial economies could be effected within a short space of time.