OPUNAKE HOSPITAL MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1919, Page 6

OPUNAKE HOSPITAL MATTERS.

DISCUSSION BY HOSPITAL BOARD. The Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday discussed various matters In connection with the District Xurse and proposed hospital district for Opunake. DISTRICT NURSE. Rev. Palmer, on behalf of the Opunake Nursing Association, wrote that as there was now a resident doctor In the town arrange-* ments would be made for (wo or thr*« tutuus for the use of the district nurse, until a permanent home was available. The chairman stated that two clergymen had come from Opunake, and stated that they deaired to have a cottage hospital at Opunake. They were told that unless accommodation was provided for a nurse it would bo impossible to get one. Be also thought it would be impossible to get a nurse for less than £250 per anum, and he suggested that the Opunake Nursing Association should let the Board know definitely what amount it was prepared to contribute. Mr. S. .1. Campbell pointed out that there was another move in Opunake. He thought it was the duty of the Board to Sbnu a imi->« to Opunake and pay her salary. The chairman stated that he had interviewed Miss McLean, who stated tha', rt was impossible to procure a nurae. The nurses from the Defence Department were being engaged by various hospitals, etc., and naturally nurses preferred to live in tho towns. The only •way that Opunake could get a\ nurse was by offering a higher salary. Mr. A. H. Halcoinbe said that it was hard on the settlers In the backblocks, because they not ohly had to find their own nurses, but also had to pay their quota to the Hospital Board. Opunake was in a slightly better position, as the Native Department also contributed its quota.

The chairman stated that the Native Department paid £SO per annum and £25 towards the rest.

Mr Halcombe said now that salaries had been Increased the Native Department should be approached to Increase their quota, and be moved In this direction.

Mr. Geo. Young seconded. Mr. S. J. Campbell still maintained that the Board should provide a nurse. They paid their quota at Opunake, and got nothing for it. The chairman said Opunake had 15 patients In the hospital now, and 204' patients for Egmont were treated at the hospital last year. There were also Are Inmates In the Old People's Home so thai they got a fair share of custom from that district.

Mr. Jas. Young said that the trouble was a lew people were supporting the nurse in Opunake all the tiine and everyone w*« .uAing, advantage of it. It should come out of the rates In some way. The chairman stated that Miss McLean said definitely that she had no nurse to send. So far It was not because they were not paying sufficient salary, it was because no nurse .was available. He, however, thought if they advertised at a high salary they might Induce a nurse to take the position. He pointed out that the Board bad done all it could to fIU the vacancy. Mr. Halcombe pointed out that subscribers should be charged less for the nurses' services. The resolution was carried. PROPOSED SEVERANCE FROM NEW PLYMOUTH. The chairman then referred to a report appearing In the Dally News of Cr. O'Brien's remarks at the last meeting of the Egmont County Council, In reference to the proposed establishment of a separate hospital at Opunake. He stated that he did not know whether Mr. O'Brien was representing the wishes of the Qpunake people, or whether he was merely expressing his own opinion when he advocated the advisability of separating from the Taranakl Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and making Opunnke a separate hos. pltal district. At any rate, it was evident from the indiscriminate nature of bis estimate that he had no practical lmowfte of the financial responsibilities involved! in his proposals. He had felt that It was the duty of the Hospital Board to go carefully Into the question, and show the ratepayers of the Egmont County the true position. He had therefore Instructed the secretary to prepare a statement of how the pro- | pos.il worked out. j The secretary stated that the nun**" < patients admitted to the hospital from the ' Egmont district for the year ending March 31, totalled 204, and Satea hospital admitted 203 patients during the year 1017, so that possibly Cr. O'Brien's comparison of the proposed hospital at Egmont with Patea might be taken as about right. Regarding valuation, however, Cr. O'Brien was a little astray, as he gave .

Patea's valuation ■ at, iE1.r.00.000, whereas at March 31, I!U7, It was £:!,i:ii,!is4, whilst the Egmont County valuation was £1,870,442. The population of Egmont County. accordi'n''"io Or O'Brien, was 3204, whereas Patea's population was 4IJSC. The maintenance for the Patea Hospital District was -U'itilS. The cost of running a hospital at Opunake on the same lines would, he estimated, he £31)2;;, as follows: Cost of land, buildings, ccmipmont of hospital, isolation wards, old peonies home, etc., say, £i:,,oi)o, at r>y~ per cejit.. £S2;i; sinking fund. 111 per cent., £ir,o, and maintcnanco based on I'atca's amount, £2!)4ii. Against this must be put the amount paid by patients. £452 (which was the amount paid liy the Egmont patients last year), subsidy on 'maintenance levy £l2lll, and sinking fund subsidy £75, making £l7!iS, and leaving £21,'1."i as the amount of levy to ho found by the County of Egmont. To produce this a levy of 2s 3%d in the £lllO on the capital value would be needed, whereas under the Taranaki Board, Egmont was contributing Is S'/.d, a difference of 7d. He pointed out that the rate per head of population would ho 13s, and tho rateable value £574, and this would only allow of a (loveryment subsidy of 12s 3d in the £, as against 16s 3d received by the Taranaki Board. The chairman stated that this had involved considerable labor on tho part of tho secretary, but he considered it was the Hoard's duly to place the matter clearly before the ratepayers of Egmont.

Mr. 0. Young considered It was a very commendable action on the part of the chairman and secretary to prepare the data, which he hoped would be published. Mr. Campbell stated that Cr. O'Brien had sprung the matter on tho Council, and lie personally did not think bis views represented those of the district-. However, the matter would be threshed out at the next Council meeting, and probably a public meeting would be calleTß, when he would submit the figures that had been brought down by the secretary.