HOSPITAL LEVIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2745, 14 June 1924, Page 3

HOSPITAL LEVIES.

PROTEST FROM PALMERSTON BOROUGH.

AN EXPLANATORY REJOINDER

A t Thursday’s meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board a letter was received from the Borough Council protesting against the ever increasing cost of hospital administration while a second letter advised that the council would not he able to make any reduction in the lighting rate for electric current consumed at the hospital. Afi- J. K. Hornblow in referring to the matter, stated that during the discussion of the board’s estimates at the council table Councillor Eliott had taken exception to the inerease in the hospital levy. The excuse had been made that, in view of the increased levy, the council was not in a position to grant any reduction in the cost of the electric light supplied to the hospital. Reports of that nature were broadcasted with the detrimental result that the hospital gained a reputation of having an ever increasing cost of administration. This the speaker took strong exception to, for the paragraph —(he ever increasing cost of hospital administration. which is being greater every year—had, he stated, been used apparently before a careful scrutiny of the figures submitted to the council hijd been made as both from the explanatory memorandum submitted with the estimates and from the estimates themselves, it was very clearly apparent that there had been no increase in the estimated cost of hospital administration for 1924-5 as compared with 1923-4 In fact, the hoard would remember that it had been decided to levy the same amount for maintenance purposes this year as had been levied last year.

The Palmerston North borough had been re-valued during the pas! year, the valuations having increased from £5,184,096 to £5,391,206, which had meant that of the maintenance levy, the borough had® to hear some £B4 more this year than last year, the levy for the present year being £2,552 5/4. From (lie medical superintendent’s report for the past twelve months, it would he seen that there were at present 130 paicuts in hospital. The peerage number of patients in hospital for the year cn-dr-d 31sl March last had been 102 ami it would seem that flic board could hardly be criticised ifjt could eater for this inere'ase in the l,iimlier of patients without increasing (lie levy on local bodies.

As regarded the Palmerston N. borough, and (lie hospital treatment afforded to borough residents, the following information was of interest: —The total number of patients trealed during the year 19234 had been 1906. Of that number 805 had been borough residents. On an average there had been 43 borough patients in hospital all the year round. Their treatment had ' cost approximately £7.750. The fees charged In such patients had amounted to £5,653 and even if 40 per cent, (which was a liberal estimate) of those fees were collected, the deficit. resulting to the board for treating such patients would be £5,480. Again, the charitable aid expenditure of the board for the past year bad amounted to £4,256 and of that amount approximately £l,500 had been spent in relieving borough residents. Thus the amount of at least £6.989 had been found by the board to afford hospital treatment and charitable relief in the borough. \ ? The contribution made by the borough towards that expenditure amonuted only to £2,468 which had borne a Government subsidy of £l,501. Thus the amount of £2,920 hud had to lie found by other local bodies, ami from government subsidy and other contributions to afford treatment to borough residents. Tn regard to the capital estimate there had been an increase this year but as it had already been agreed to by the borough council together with other local bodies, and as the work of adding tu the nurse’s home was an essential one, it could hardly call for protest, at the present stage from a local body. The department wn’ulfl not allow such a work to be financed out of loan moneys and the'board bad no recourse but to levy for the amount required and by spreading the levy over two years was endeavouring to meet the local bodies to as great an extent as possible.

At the conclusion of his remarks, Mr Horn hi qw was greeted with applause, hut Die discussion was not carried further.