HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5116, 20 April 1927, Page 2

HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE.

POSITION OBTAINING AT THAMES. LOCAL BODIES’ CONTRIBUTIONS. The following information was submitted to the last meeting of tne Thames Hospital Board by Mr J. W. Danby : — “The number of cases treated was 144 more than last year, and maternity eases were 12 more than last year. The number of operations was 109 less than last year. The number of outpatients treated was 219 more than last year, and the outpatients’ fees collected were £43 Ils more than last year. The hospital fe.es charged last year were £8505 7s Bd, and £3732 0s 2d was collected. The fees charged this year amounted to £8935 10s 6d, and £3361 7s 4d was collected. This year the aggregate of fees charged was £430 2s lOd more than last year, but the amount received in fees was £370 12s lOd less than last year. Last year maternity fees totalling £369 is were charged, and £282 10s was collected, or 75 per cent. This year the fees charged totalled £455 16s, and £247 14s was collected, or 55 per cent. Twelve more cases were treated, and yet £34 17s less was collected. The cost of hospital maintenance was: Provisions, £ll 3s Id more than last year; salaries, and wages, £B7 18s 5d more; domestic and establishment, £l4l 12s 8d more; surgery and dispensary, £241 2s 8d less than last year. The net position of the main institution is that although 144 inpatients and. 219 outpatients more were treated last year, the total maintenance cost of the. hospital for. the year is 8s 6d less than last year. "At the District Homes provisions cost £7l lis Id less than last year, surgery and dispensary 19s 3d less, domestic and establishment £l6 9s lid less, salaries and wages £l2 12s 8d more. The total maintenance costs were £96 7s 7d less than last year. Against that must be set the fact that the total fees for inmates of the homes this year is £lBO Ils 2d less than last year.

“In indoor and outdoor relief the Paeroa Bmg,ugb received this year £163 3s 3d more than last year; Ohinemuri County, £4l Ils more; Thames County’, £2B 6s lOd more; Thames Borough, £197 14s lid more ’, Hauraki Plains County, £167 Ils 5d more than last year. The total increase in relief granted over last year was £BO9 5s sd. "In the levies payable this year by the. local bodies, due principally to readjustment of local body valuations, the Thames Borough will pay £34 is 3d more than last year; Paeroa Borough, £5 3s lOd more ; Hauraki Plains County, £BO7 4s 2d more ; while the Ohinemuri County pays £4.19s 7d less and the Thames County £3l 9s lid less.

“The levies payable .by local bodies amount to £BO9 5s 5d more than last year, while of the total amount of local body levies, that payable by the Hauraki Plains County amounts to 47 per cent. On the figures submitted by the Valuation Department the Thames Borough will be called upon to v contribute. £1169 9s lid ; Thames County, £Bl3 10s lid ; Hauraki Plains Ccunty, £3051 5s 7d, giving a total of £5034 6s 5d ; while the Paeroa Borough contributes only £529 3s lOd and the Ohinemuri County £949 13s, giving a total of £1478 16s lOd.”

Mr Danby paid tribute to the good work done and capable administration by the whole, staff. Mr E. L. Walton said that he, too, appreciated the work done by the secretary, and Instanced cases where the secretary was not infrequently out of pocket in collecting fees, etc., for the board. He thought that the secretary should be reimbursed.