PUBLIC HOSPITALS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1924, Page 1

PUBLIC HOSPITALS

PAYING PATIENT SUGGESTION. WELLINGTON, March SO. What he considered a weakness in New Zealand’s otherwise admirable system of public hospitals was mentioned to a Rotary Club gathering by |)r. Franklin Martin, Director-General of the American College of Surgeon*. He and his medical friends had visited the public hospitals at Auckland, (.hristchufch, Dunedin and Wellington and lie had occasion to praise the buildings, organisation and hue static. He had noted in Christchurch that patients appeared to be in comfortable circumstances. They were not pauperis, and a New Zealand friend to whom lie made Hie remark replied that some were better able to l>av the surgeons’ fees than were many doctors.

“With the jiniount of money that is being expended upon your public hospitals, collected as taxes from people of moans," continued Dr. Martin, “it appears to us from our perspective that there should he provision in these hospitals by which the well-to-do, and the sick may receive the benefit of these well-oi|ui pped institutions when they are ill, ah institution in which they may receive the highest type of service and at the same time bo privilegd to pay their physicians or surgeons as they would expect to pay at home. Why not build a fotv pavilions around your present buildings in which the highest class of hospital service may he given to the well-to-do, in which they will pay to the hospital the entire upkeep of the physicians who ungrudgingly give their valuable services to the poor and unfortunate in the same institution ? This we do in the United States and Canada, ami it concentrates the work of our physicians and surgeons, and all people have the advantage of the expensive equipment of the host hospitals. • Why should we treat our poor better than we do those who pay the taxes? If the public hospitals of your islands are not readily adjusted to this arrangement the many excellent private hospitals von have will take the place of your public hospitals and your public hospitals will degenerate into hospitals exclusively for the poor. We have visited several of your private hospitals, and it is apparent that they are rapidiy developing into the highest institutions for the care of the sick.”