HOSPITALS COMMISSION.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17122, 18 April 1921, Page 9

HOSPITALS COMMISSION.

MEDICAL AND FOOD SUPPLES*. The Hospitals' Commission resumed * sitting in Wellington on Saturday, Mr Vernon Keed, M.P., presiding. , Mr F. J. Fenton, Inspecting Home Steward, Health Department, evidence on the tenth paragraph of tb# order of'reference,- namely, "To wfcrt «s----tent economy might be effected tar the adoptfon of stricter business mttttMS. more especially in tho purchaMßi of medical and surgical aupplk*.". ness remarked that as his uigoifitemenv to the position he now held was only made a& from March Ist. lD2lj te cowl not particularise regarding; thft economics could be effected 1Q tn® prtt* er number of institutions under the control of tho Department or boards, excepting to state that in the few ipwlwtions ihe 'had Tisited, tho nccwiitjr for svstbms to prevent' wasto rnd ktICRRB and for totter purchasing methods w«ro apparent, and tho adoption of bonnes* methods therein would result in SBbSjtential savings. Ho proceeded tn dew «ttn tlie desirablenom for adopting stricter methods of dealing -with Morns, etc. The advantage of calling for tenders wa* now a matter to be seriously considereJ in comparison with using tho machinery set up by the Department, whereto any of the principal lines in hospital nw could be purchased in hulk at price* lower than those obtained by most of the boards. He thought it would he an advantage if provision were made to include in any amending legislation in respect to tho Hospitals Act that boards must either call for tenders or purcba*i through tho Supply Department. _ If by tender, the boards should tubinit tho iiowest tender to the> Department before acceptance of same in order that the prices might bo compared with, tha current wholesale quotation* in itn possession. An almost universal fault in hospital administration was til* negVc. to consider with tha question of cost the equally important one of measure ment. By measurement he meanttbt of quantity consumption. In reply to the Hon. W. H. Tngp witness said that from report* he un! seen, and the few institution! fc» tar.' visited, he had come to the conclusion that there was a percentage of wastage of food. , Dr. Valintihe. Director of Public Health for Auckland, in aiuwer to a question by th» Aairmaft, said thai, in regard to the salaries of tho ttaff, ho did not think that great economies could be effected; but in regard to stores, supplies, etc., that was a department m whifch most important economies coulJ ho carried out. .

The Commission then adjourned, and will take ayidonoo at Auckland this week.