CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 62, 6 December 1907, Page 8

CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL.

4 — ■' . '• INTERESTING DISCUSSION. (BT TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) ■ . Chrlstchurch, December 5. Thoro have- been frequent discussions at tho Hospital Hoard meetings regarding the lack of accommodation at the Hospital'and tho use madoof the institution by persons who could well afford to pay. for private treatment arid ' nursing. Tho matter cnino up again at the statutory mooting of tho Boardi The Chairman, in his address, said the Hospital, was all too small for the needs of the city. There were only two wards for t women, and accommodation for. 39] patients, and, as female cases were increasing; more accommodation was . necessary. Another urgent requirement was a children's .ward. AS present thoro. were only eight cots, and children had frequently to bo placed in other wards. • ■ ■ ; ••■'.■ Mr. H. J. Forroll said.the Hospital.was doing a lot of work'which, it was nbt properly entitled to undertake. Some pcoplo wero coming to tho institution who should not, and others were prevented from- coming. Ho doubted if the Charitable Aid Board had settled tho question of accommodating in-, curable cases, andj if not, ho hoped the Hospital Board would do its duty in tho matter. If tho'Board was a littlo harder on thoso admitted to the Hospital there -would bo moro room for deserving cases. Many wero coming to tho Hospital who wero well ablo to pay a physician. ' Lists of non-paying in--mates wcro submitted to members every month, but it was not their duty to act as private detectives and discover who should pay and who should not.: If tho matter wero thoroughly sifted, it would bo found that.thero wero plenty of persons well ablo to pay a doctor. There was nothing to preront men meeting with accidents loafing on the Hospital, and then drawing money from their employers or tho insurance companies. Tho Cnajrman said tho namos of nonpaying patients were supplied at tho request of members. The result, however, had been unsatisfactory. Tho stay of patients in tho Christchurch Hospital was tho shortest of any in the Dominion, boirig on an , average 24.20 days, as against 33.21 at Wellington, and 27.14 at Dunodin. No ono should be kept out if ho would pay. Mr. F. Horrell urged that there should bo two incurable wards, and-Mr. Allison advocated the establishment of a dental ward, and that tho Hospital should havo the-means of. applying tho Finson light cure. Mr. Morris said thoro was an everlasting ci-y against people coming into the Hospital who were able to pay doctors. -The Hospital was a public institution, and tho beds wero opon to those who'.would pay, just, as thoy Were to those who could not. It was not a pauper's institution, and was open to anyone who cared to avail himself of the special treatment it afforded.-, Mr. Wc-Ife remarked that it appeared, to bo an unfortunate thing in New Zealand to have a.little monoy. Thqro wero somo who would exclude that class from hospitals and every other institution.' Mr. Horrell explained that all ho contended for was that thoso in a position to do so should bo made to pay for accommodation at tho Hospital. If that were dono, 50 per cent, of such cases would not como.