HOSPITAL FEES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2163, 14 August 1920, Page 1

HOSPITAL FEES.

INCH-EASE AT END OF FINANCIAL YEAR.

Recently the Palmerston North Hospital ami ■Charitable Aid Hoard passed a resolution authorising a committee to go into the matter of increasing the maintenance fees for patients receiving treatment at the local hospilal. The committee eventually reported that the present fee' of 3s (id a day for all patients should be increased to (is per day for patients with no children, bs per day for patients with one or two children, 4s per day for patients with three children and over, and -Is a day for children up to I I years of age. In moving the adoption of the recommendations at Thursday's meeting of the Hospital Board, Mr J. Bramwell (Feilding) staled that the general increase's in the prices of every commodity had made il impossible lo maintain a patient at less than !)s -Id a day, whereas the cost under pre-war conditions did not exceed 3s a day. He considered that a great number of people received treatment at the institution who were prepared to pay the increased charges, and il was reasonable that such people should not be treated at a rate so small as 3s (id a day when the cost id' maintenance wa> considered. Mr Bramwell added that he wished lo make it clear that he was not acting with any idea of lessening the levies on local bodies.

Mr Bcnn (Olaki) seconded the mol ion.

Dr. Whitaker opposed the proposal. Mrs Gill and the speaker represented lb,ooo out of the -10,000 people concerned in the district. If the representatives of a third of the people in the hospital board’s district objected lie did not sec that l.bc motion should In l passed. In any case there was no linaneial need I hi-, year lo increase the rales, for the reason that the finances showed it balance of UK,OOO, the levy had been reduced from S.-- Ud to (is Ojd. Under such circumstances it would be ridiculous to increase the rail's. Tin' next year’s interest and the amount of the sinking fund for the year on the loan raised for till' building of the new wing bad been paid. One of the worst features in the hospital’s linanees was the practice of

“writing off” uncollected Ices. If the payments were kept down and an insistence' was made that they should all be paid there would be no t rouble. Mr Bramwell; We have to write off a great number under the present rale.

In regard to staff salaries, the chairman (Sir.lames Wilson) staled that increases would have to be laced.

Continuing, Dr. Whitaker raised (he point of the legitimacy of raising the rate during the middle of the financial vear.

Mr Penn: Ask the Chairman to give his ruling. The Chairman: It would be belter to defer the whole thing until the end of the linaneial vear.

Mr M oody suggested that (he motion should be altered to make its effect operative from the commencement of the next linaneial year.

Mr Bramwell supported the suggestion, and this course was agreed to. — (The Hospital Board’s linaneial ’rear concludes on March 31sf.)

Mr .1. K. llornblow opened that consideration of Ihe whole allair should be deferred unlil Ihe report of (he eonfereuee of delegates from all the hospital hoards of the Dominion held recently was available. At this eonfereuee the question of making a general increase throughout the Dominion was very fully discussed, hut it was decided that individual circumstances should dictate the rale of maintenance fees. “1 am not against this increase," said Mr llornhlow, “hut I think it would he advisable that Hoard members should first sett the report.” Mr W. (I. I’cam* (Feilding ) considered that it w:ts a poor proposition to suggest that some people should be let off free and the extra money should he got out of others. Many of the patients were ill for some lime before entering the institution, and in consequence often found themselves financially embarrassed. If the breadwinner were laid aside by sickness no money was coming in, and if if was the amt her of a young family help had to be procured in the house. Personally, he preferred (he Japanese idea that those people who were well should provide for the sick. Mr Rramweil; The hospital should be free.

Continuing, Mr Pearee staled Unit Ik favoured leaving the fees a's they were and increasing the levies. Tlie ratepayers did not want the few pounds that the increases would relieve them of. and if the people he represented insisted on his voting in favour of the proposal he would re-

sign his sont before he would do so. Mr J. 11. Vincent asked what position I lie hospilal would be in if it beeamc a free institution. Would the Government subsidise the phu;e ;it the same rate? Mrs Gill: They would on the voluntary contributions. Tin* chairman: In these days the voluntary contributions arc seriously diminishing. Continuing, Mr Vincent said that the increase proposed, amounting' to only tid a day extra, could not be considered an undue impost when it was borne in mind that (he fees at present collected amounted only to an average of Us 2d a day and the cost of maintenance per patient was Os dd. In any ease the Hospital Board had to wipe oIT hundreds of pounds a year for unpaid fees —

fees which could not be collected, and which the Board realised should not be demanded. The scab' of charges should be arranged according to the family .responsibilities of tho individual patient.

Mr llornblow staled that hi* boiled legislation would some day be enacted lo provide for free treatment in the hospitals for pool- people, and for the prmision of accommodation for people who could afford to pay in a separata' portion where they could have their mm medical aftendanls.

The Chairman said that if such was ever proposed be would enter an emphatic protest against it. Boor people would naturally feel slighted under such conditions, and 'would object to going into the place at all. *'

The motion was llam pul to tin’ meeting and carried. The new scale of charges will accordingly come into operation on April Ist of next \ear. —Standard.