WHO SHOULD PAY?
STATE OR HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT OF SOLDIERS. Correspondence has been passing between tho Wellington Hospital Board jtail the Minister of Public Health (the Han. tt. W. Russell) respecting the payment of tho cost of the treatment of soldiers. At yesterday's meeting of the board a letter from Mr. Russell was read. It contained tho following:—"1 note that while your board is averse to granting free treatment to intending, recruits from other hospital districts, it is not\avorso to affording such free treatment to intending recruits from the Wellington district. I would be glad, therefore, to hear if my interpretation of your letter is correct''in this' respect." The board's secretary replied that the Minister's interpretation was not correct. Ho added: "Patients under treatment at this hospital are'eharged a maintenance fee, and do not pay for treatment, i.e., medical attention, .nursing, oporations, etc. The policy of iny board is to charge nil patients tho full fee for maintenance, and to remit, in part or in full, tho accounts of those whose circumstances aro such that they are unablo to, pay. The Hospital Committee of my board has been pleased to note the Hon. itho Defence Minister's statement mado recently in Parliament that the . Government would pay.tho.charges for recruits." The Minister wrote again: "I am well aware that in those hospitals whero an honorary staff is employed no charge is made for • medical and nursing attendance. ..Your; hospital, therefore, does not differ from, any- other in that Tespect. As regards the-statement attributed to the Hon. tho Minister of Defence, to tho effect that the Government would pay the charges for recruits, I have no actual knowledge. It is enough for me to know that, •with the exception of the Wellington Hospital Board,' tlie hospital Ixiards of the Dominion have decided that recruits requiring soino slight operation to fit them for service for the Empire will receivo hospital accommodation freo of charge."
The board "received" the Minister's letters without discussing them.
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Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2829, 21 July 1916, Page 6
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329WHO SHOULD PAY? Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2829, 21 July 1916, Page 6
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