HOSPITAL EXPANSION

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 962, 3 May 1930, Page 10

HOSPITAL EXPANSION

MINISTER DETAILS FIVE YEARS’ PROGRESS ECONOMY NECESSARY Pres* Association PALMERSTON N., p riday The expansion of hospital and allL services in the Dominion was to today by the Minister of Health**! Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, when opened two new wards at the merston North Hospital. These ww, provide accommodation for 46 which brings the total number to 212 making the institution the sixth general hospital in New There are nearly 5.4 beds per 1,644 $ population in the district, a which is ahead of any district of stm. lar or greater population. The Minister said that in the cox. paratively short period of five ye*, from 1924-23 to 2 928-29 hospital tenance in New Zealand incream from £964.183 to £1.206,190, an fc. crease of 25 per cent. This fig*, included direct expenditure only m did not include interest on money am in land, buildings and equipment * depreciation, which together mi estimated to represent an a&am figure of about £320,000. In the same period the annual number of in-patients under tifatmu increased from 65.250 to 87,888, increase of 34.7 per cent. The incre**, in the number of in-patients betwm 1927-28 and 1928-29 was 8,046. out-patients increased from 38,75$ 73,952 during the five years. ffe 1927- figure was 71,987. In spite of this apparently extn. ordinary increase in the number out-patients it was of interest to nou that the Dominion had less than om out-patient to one in-patient, m the United Kingdom had four and «. half to one. Local conditions and particular the fact that New Zealm had only a few large centres of pop*, lation had, of course, a special bcaifcg on this point. ADMINISTRATION COSTS The administration of hospitals, ft* major function of hospital boards, ut hospital maintenance constituted Tt per cent, of the total expenditure, Rib there were other Important funcLa« to which reference must be made, coctinued the Minister. The adminfetntion of indoor and outdoor relief, trhkfc in recent years showed a considerate increase in cost, was probably tk* most difficult phase of the boards work, particularly at present. Although indoor relief had not Increased <p{tu so appreciably, being £110,874 a 1928- as against £94,756 in 1924-23, the outdoor relief in the same period increased from £76,190 to £ 134,8*4. This was accounted for by the exigence of unemployment on a large scale, which made its appearance in 1921 The- total maintenance of hospital boards’ and the Health Department! institutions for the year 1928-29 £1*671,295, the corresponding figure for the previous year being £2,598,«U Having regard, however, to tte steadily growing popularity of fee public services, resulting in tiWr utilisation by a wider economic sectk* of the community and to the develop* ment of related services by the department itself, such as dental clink* native nursing and medical services and assistance to the Piunket Society 1 * activities, it was desirable to view tfcs subject from the aspect of the burden on public funds. LOCAL BODY LEVIES Levies on local bodies increased from £497,272 in 1924-25 to £67511' in 1928-29, and the estimated amona: for the year just closed was £688,721. Subsidies to hospital boards payato from the Consolidated Fund totalled £546,106 in 1924-25 and £698465:!! 1928-29. Including other expenditnr? by the department on its institutions and other related activities previously referred to, the total burden on pubtfunds increased from £1.181.924 in 1924-25 to £1.523,929 in 1928-29. The estimated amount for 1921-1? was £1,562,248, equivalent to £1 Is 4c a. head of population as against 17s fc six years ago. The estimates for tt* current year were being examine Mr. Stallworthy concluded, but Y was not in a position to state tb< amount of the demands to be wsAs Ho expressed the hope that board; would co-operate with the Healt.. Department in drawing the estimate l as finely as possible, recognising tfcs constant need for economy.