HOSPITAL EXPENDITURE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1736, 29 April 1913, Page 4

HOSPITAL EXPENDITURE.

Sir,—llr. Bunny's statement with regard to the above, reported in your issue of April 23, is oue which the trustees of the hospital may well "read, mark, ami lon'rn." Mr. Bunny lias understated the facts, for there are now four house surgeons as well us a medical superintend-, ent; that is to say; five times as many medicos as there were twelve years ago, or thereabouts. Undoubtedly the work lins greatly increased, possibly even doubled; but the resident medical staff has quintupled. Arc the public any better oil'? Were they not even better satisfied in the past? Anyway, we ratepayers were better oil',' and better in' that we paid less in rates. We hear a lot about the increase of work at (lie hospital, but not only has the paid (resident) staff, but also the honorary staff, been increased, perhaps even doubled. An increase of the honorary ■staff might well be expected to lighten tho work of the resilient doctors (or does the one set act independently of the other?). With regard to (he new pathological department, I understand that such a department was necessary, but on a much more modest scale. Seeing that there is a skilled pathologist at the Government Laboratory, surely it was hardly necessary lo import a highly-paid individual for the billet at the hospital! Could not one, of the house surgeons have been detailed to do the pathological work, and, in case of difficulty, could lie.not refer lo the Govcnimonl pathologist." When wc sec ihe rapidly increasing hospital expenditure,,

no wonder the majority of ratcpavers think thul: it. is time to put the brake oil. Now that the elections are apnruachiiifr it is very fitting ihat this grievance should lie ventilated.—l am, etc CAUTIOUS. April 23, 1913.