HOSPITAL COSTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3822, 24 July 1928, Page 4

HOSPITAL COSTS.

HOROWHENUA COUNTY CHAIRMAN’S REPLY TO CRITICISM.

Reference to hospital administration costs was made at the meeting of the Horowhenua County Council on Saturday.

A copy was received of the Palmerston North Borough Council’s circular to local bodies -urging concerted action to secure a revision of the whole sj'stem of hospital control, and advocating direct representation of local bodies on Hospital Boards. The Chairman, Mr. G. A. Monk, who is one of the district representatives on the Board, remarked that the Council had discussed hospital matters a good deal at different meetings; and he moved that the communication be receved. He added that liis own opinion was that only a man with a great deal of courage would endeavour to take away the present democratic system of representation on the Board. The representatives were at present elected by the direct vote of the people, and not returned by a form of autocratic appointment on the part of local bodies. Although it was true that the money was raised through the latter channel, nevertheless the funds came from the people who elected the representatives to the Board; and he did not see that there was any likelihood in New Zealand of the people losing the present method of representation. It must be remembered that 50 per cent, of the money was contributed by the Consolidated Eund without there being any representation of the Government on the Hospital Boards. If local bodies were to have direct representation because of their contributions, then the next development would have to be the appointment of Government representatives on the Boards, and this the Government would be entitled to claim. The Palmerston Council thought that the question of hospital management should also receive some consideration. He did not know of any better method under the present Act than that which was in existence to-day. The Palmerston hospital had a particularly capable managing secretary in Mr. Phillipps, and so long as this was the case he did not think that anything further could be done in this direction. Seeing that the institution had had to take over 200 patients when provision had only been made for 140, it seemed that more provision must be made, and this the Board were endeavouring to do.

Cr. Catley, another of the Board members, expressed the opinion that the Palmerston Council had nothing to complain about in regard to the administration of the hospital. The cost of sustenance of patients and staff was amazingly low, and if it were any less one would wonder how they could live. It amounted to £2O 4s per head per annum, or 1/1 a day. This was sufficient to shoiv that there could not be any waste there. The cost to Palmerston per patient per annum w 7 as £4 2s 9d, while to Horowhenua it was £26 3s.

Cr. McLeavey asked what became of the balance of the money if the cost per head was only 1/1 a day. Cr. Catley replied that it was spent mainly on building and wages. Somebody had wanted to know whether the hospital farm had been run at a profit or a loss. The balance sheet showed that it had made a profit of £345. Cr. Catley added that rfembers of the contributing local bodies would do well to make themselves acquainted with the facts by pei’using the annual report and balance-sheet. The chairman said he had been instrumental in having the report sent out, but it had not achieved what he had hoped. There was still the criticism. It would pay any member -of contributing local bodies to obtain the report from the clerk of that local body, take it home, and go through it carefully. In reference to hospitals generally, it did appear to those who had not full knowledge of their inner working that they were expensive. It must be taken into consideration, however, that a healthy man was worth any number of sick men. It was the object 'of any Hospital Board to make people well as quickly as possible, and with the best methods available. The motion to receive the circular was seconded by Cr. Kilsby, and was carried.