THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1910. OUR HOSPITALS.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 29 September 1919, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1910. OUR HOSPITALS.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that wo can do.

An appendix to the annual report by the Inspector-General of Hospitals and Charitable Institutions and the Chief Health Officer, recently published, contains a great amount of useful information. It shows that the gross expenditure Of hospital boards, separate institutions and Government institutions, amounted to £953,015, the expenditure of hospital boards alone totalling £893,334. The average cost of maintenance per occupied bed, which was £105.1 in 1913-14, had increased to £IIS.I for the last year available, 1917-18. A comparative table shows how hospital and charitable aid maintenance ha 3 grown. In 190 S-9 the cost per head of population was 7s t id, while for 1917-8 it had grown to 12s 11 jd, an increase of over 60 per cent. At the same time, this increase is not quite in the proportion to the number jof patients treated, for last year the average number of occupied beds per j diem was 3190, as against 1506 in 1908-9 —more than double the number. A table published, showing particulars of hospital maintenance expenditure for the year ended March 31st, 1918, makes most interesting reading. From this it is seen that the Palmerston North Hospital—now .in this hospital f district—had an average ox S 5 occupied beds per diem, and the total cost of maintenance per occupied bed was £98.2. These figures compare most favourably with those of other similar institutions. For instance, at the New Plymouth. Hospital, with an average of 90 occupied beds, the cost averaged £144, Napier £102.2, Waikato £102.1, Wanganui £96.5, Thames £134.7, Timara £52. In the hospitals of the four chief centres, the rate of maintenance was high Auckland £104.8, Wellington £129, Christchurch £142.5, Dunedin £112.2. In many of the small hospitals the cost was extremely high. For instance at Northern Wairoa, with an 1 average of 15.3 occupied beds per diem, ’ the cost of maintenance averaged no | less than £267.8 per occupied bed, Pie- ( ton (10 occupied beds) £250.5, Dennxston £530.8, Akaroa £537.1. It is pleas- ! ing to know that, among the small inI s that ions, the Otaki Hospital comes i oat very well, as regards cost of maintenance.” The average number ox ! occupied beds for the year was 9.8, and I the average cost £191.3. The above i figures should convince district resi--1 dents of the wisdom of the step taken gome little time ago, when the rate- ! pavers of this district secured separation from the Wellington Hospital District, and became a part of the Palmerston North Hospital District. By that step ratepayers have saved them- ’ selves a very heavy levy, and we nowform part of a country hospital district where the expenditure is most reasonable, and nothing like such a burden on ratepayers as was the case when we belonged to the Wellington DxstrictITke statistics supplied in the yearly returns referred to above show the i great need for more m 'wetfeds of jaanagement of hospital | uSaise, and sM * i.espiial maintenf axce charges, in which fiircen a a fie ample scope for improvement. Po=-* j tibly the propped conference of bos*, vitH hoard representatives may arrive 5 at some mean* of dealing with this j