HOSPITAL SCHEME

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 128, 1 June 1937, Page 11

HOSPITAL SCHEME

EXTENSIONS OPPOSED

The view.that the proposed extensions to the Wellington. Hospital should not be proceeded with, but that a hospital should be erected in the Hutt Valley, was embodied in the report of a sub-committee of the. Wellington Ratepayers' Association, presented to the annual meeting last evening.

The committee reported- against any extension to the . present hospital, which was now too large for economic management and efficiency. The practice in other places favoured 250-bed hospitals, which were considered to be the most favourable for efficient management. "Other parts of our hospital district ■• have -already protested against an expenditure of £650,000 to make the Wellington Hospitar more inefficient, less economical, and worse mismanaged," stated the report. "This association cordially supports such action." '

The committee advocated the building of a hospital in the Hutt Valley, pointing out that such an institution could be erected and equipped for probably less than, one-sixth of. the cost of the extensions to the Wellington Hospital. Last year's levy on the ratepayers of. the Wellington hospital district was £70,000, which was 35. per cent, greater than the levy made in Auckland and Christchurch. Only about 5s 6d in the £ was collected in Wellington frpm hospital patients. In view of the Government's proposal foi' a national, health scheme, no expenditure should be undertaken till the details of the Government scheme were known. ' The main points made in the report were summarised as follows:— '■1. The proposed i expenditure of £650,000 —a permanent burden upon ratepayers—has been ill-considered and its approval all too hastily sanctioned.- ,' ~'\" -f.■-.' ". '■' ... ■ ...'.., .','■ "2. The'present hospital is "too'big, too costly to manage, and efficiency has suffered; smaller hospitals are more efficient and capable of more economic management. "3. The bad management of our hospital is demonstrated by the fact that only 5s Gd in the £ is collected of patients' fees, v "4. No expenditure should be undertaken to enlarge the Wellington Hospital until the Government's health insurance scheme is disclosed." ' \ '