Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, SEPTEMB. 22, 1923. PUBLIC' HOSPITAL PATIENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2636, 22 September 1923, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, SEPTEMB. 22, 1923. PUBLIC' HOSPITAL PATIENTS.

THE poin( as In whether our public hospitals are open (o all classes of people—flip well I.i-fln as wall as flic poor ami indigenl—i- nol very clearly defined by eorlnin Board-. Tn all eases of.' urgency no patient pan He denied entry and treatment, but where an honorary medical - lafl’ is employed the laller object, and with a good deal of reason, In (real gratis, patients who are well able to pay for private attention. At the same time ii is questionahle whether a member of the honorary staff eonld refuse duly once the patient is admitted. Tf puhlie hospitals were open to all without distillation, the accommodation and nursing staffs would have to he

greatly increased and a stipendiary medical staff employed. Primarily the public hospital-: exist for the poor and indigent. Speaking on tins subject recently, Ur. T. 11. A. 1.-d----entine (Direelor-(Jcneral ol‘Health) said: “The man who is poorly .-.erved in the matter of hospital aeeommodalion at tin* present time inot the poor man, hut the well-to-do man, who has In go inlo a private hospital.” The time was coming, he said, when well-to-do people won!.! have to he entered for hy hospital hoards, wlm could charge higher fees accordingly. This was done in Canada and elsewhere and the additional revenue derived re-imbur-sed the hospital hoards to a large extent for the large expenditure for the poorer classes. This example should he followed hy New Zealand, which would mean that every class would then be catered for. They must not, however, cater for the well-to-do before the poor.