HOSPITAL CHARGES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 328, 21 January 1909, Page 4

HOSPITAL CHARGES

lIAWKRA FAVORS REDUCTION. •A few months ago a conference of the Stratford, Uawera, and New Plymouth J Fo»pital Boards agreed to raise the larilf at. these institutions to (is a day for patients belonging to the district. At Monday's meeting of the Uawera. Board the chairman introduced the matter of reduction. He thought it would be necessary to have, another conference of Hospital Boards before any conclusion could be arrived at, presuming that they had any intention of altering the present charge of (is per day. Mr. doodluud said it seemed to him that the charge, of £2 2s a week was ludicrously high. Mr. Duns thought it would be an advantage to have a. sliding scale. It was needed for the poorer classes. The chairman said they could not have a sliding scale; it was tried before and was a failure. Mr. Alat'licynolda said he knew of several families who had been contributing to the Charitable Aid Board since it was first established in New Plymouth, and it was regarded as a hardship that when one of their members got ill and had to go to hospital he should be obliged to pay (is a day. The chairman said that even at Cs a day there was a loss. After further discussion, the following resolution was flurried unanimously on the motion of .Mr. Goodland. seconded by Mr. MacHeynolds:— "That the Stratford and New* Plymouth Hospital Boards be notified that the Uawera Hospital and Charitable Aid Board intend to take into consideration the advisability of materially reducing the present charge imimseil upon patients, as this Board finds that the charges agreed upon at the late conference press unduly hard upon the, class of people that the institution Is supposed to'benefit.'' Mr. .Marx gave notice of motion. "Tlmt the resolution "f September 21. 1008. fixing the charge at Us per day. be rescinded, and that on and after March 1. 11)09. the charge be reduced f. £1 5s per week."