N.Z. HOSPITALS.

Grey River Argus, 19 February 1927, Page 5

N.Z. HOSPITALS.

PRAISED BY DEPARTMENT HEADS BUT ECONOMY NOTE SOUNDED. HAWERA, February 18. The biggest public work undertaken in Smith Taranaki, the erection of a public hospital here, has b§en completed, and the opening ceremony was performed this afternoon by the Minister of Health, before a large gathering. The hospital, providing pecomniodation for 80 beds, is up tc/date in every respect. It cost £90,000, and should provide for the requirements of the district for many years. Hon. Mr Young stated the hospital expenditure throughout the Dominiop was steadily increasing. Seventy-three per cent, of all the Hospital Board’s revenue was derived from the public funds, levies on local authorities, and subsidies contributed by the Government. The cost of hospital treatment averaged about 15s 3d daily. The charges made by the boards averaged 9s per day. Qply 3s 6d per day was collected in contributions. The public funds, levies and subsidies had risen from £443,000 sterling in 1914-15 to £1,238,000 for 1925-26, and the expenditure per head of the population had risen from 7s 9d to 20s 5d to-day. The number of available beds per thousand of tile population was five point four, as against three point four in 1914-la. Since that year forty new hospitals had been opened. The majority of these institutions were intended foi maternity cases only.

Dr Valentine, Director-General of Health, remarked that the standard of the hospitals in New Zealand was high, and more than favourably compared with the same European institutions. Provision was made in this country for five beds per thousand of the population, while the United Kingdom provided one per thousand. No other part of Europe, with the probable exception of Denmark, could reach the latter standard. The Director sounded a note of warning regarding further expenditure. He said that during the next few years, this would need to be as light as possible. There was no further need for new hospitals in the Dominion.

During the afternoon a memorial tablet to the late W. A. Parkinson was unveiled by Miss H. M. Page, granddaughter of the donor, under'whose bequest the entrance columns were provided.