THE RICH AND THE SICK

Hokitika Guardian, 3 February 1925, Page 3

THE RICH AND THE SICK

HOSPITAL FINANCE. CHANGES LIKELY. WELLINGTON, dan. 30. Ail interesting resume of the proceedings of the Hospitals’ Conference, held in Buffalo, U.S.A., was given the AVellington Hospital Board yesterday by Dr S. Elliott, who attended the conference as the representative of the AVellington body Dr Elliott said there were : bout 2064 members at the conference representing all phases of hospital work, the lay people far outnumbering the expert. These people signed a. pledge to do their best in the holy ministry to broken bodies; they placed the whole thing on a very high ]il a ue. Americans, lie said, go in for three or iour story hospitals with a basement, and that is the right idea and facilitates administration. They would exalt the out-patient department, and they would not leave the work to junior officers, because it is the, preventive department.

BIG HOSPITALS; SMALL WARDS. The day of the large ward has gone by. They go in largely for laboratories, whic his a- right idea. I hey are right also in specialising in dietetics. Americans believed in big hospitals, and regarded small ones merely as first lines of defence. Tlio Hospital Association gave great thought to Hospital Day on which they aiseil large sums of money. Many ol the rich there gave very freely. Ihe hospitals had no falsi l modesty about asking people their financial resources, and people were expected to pay Recording to their means. AYhethor people paid or not they got the same treatment, and there was no first- and second class.

REFORM BY EVOLUTION. Dr Elliott thought our hospital system had been a good one for a comparatively poor country up to the present. but it was desirable to get' money. lie could not see that ‘here was need for revolutionary methods. He thought there would lie evolution, and he believed the Health Department favoured extending the held of usofuloss. People here- were so accustomed to having hospitals provided for them out of State lands that the purses of niiiiiv of the ric h had become closed. AYc should educate those who could, to give. Some ol the American rich, instead ol erec-ti.ug expensive tombstones over the graves ol rhek dead, gave something, such as an Xray plant, which was a permanent memorial. Air C. H. Chapman said the New Zealand method of financing the hospitals had resulted in security ol finance. and that was verv important. The method was one which still left open the way to appeal tor private help- . , The chairman. Air F. Castle, said he believed the result of Dr Elliotts visit would lie to bring about a gradual change, which would be better for the. public and the patients. He did not think there would be a radical change. Dr Elliott was thanked for Ins report.