HOSPITAL COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1921, Page 5

HOSPITAL COMMISSION.

EVIDENCE CONTINUED. THE SUBSIDY SYSTEM. By Telegraph. —Pres* Association Wellington, April 13. The Hospital Commission resumed its sittings to-day, Mr. E. Killick, further examined, gave a comprehensive review of the whole of the hospital and charitable aid legislation and administration. Regarding the subsidy system the witness said that two factors were taken into consideration. The first was that the amount of the capital value per head of population was considered the index of the wealth of the district: that, however, was not always the case. The other factor was that expenditure was presumed to mean extravagance, whereas it did not necessarily mean extravagance.

Under the proposed scheme it was assumed by the department that neither of these considerations was correct. The whole scheme was framed with a view to try to bring about an equal rate all over the Dominion. The whole question of voluntary contributions was really beyond the department. It was a question whether the Government could stand the increasing expense. Regarding fees, witness was inclined to lean towards a uniform fee of £3 3s a week. Friendly societies should, he thought, be charged half that fee PRIVATE WARDS IN HOSPITALS. NEW SCHEME OF AFFILIATION. ROOM FOR ECONOMIES. Wellington, Last Night. Dr. Wylie, head of the hospitals branch of the Health Department, giving evidence to-day before the Hospitals Commission, stated that the establishment of private or paying wards was desirable, especially in small and mediumsized towns-, in order that hospital activities might be concentrated and all possible facilities made available to every section of the community. Paying patients in such wards would have medical men of their own choice. Few places in New Zealand outside the large centres could adequately develop both a good public hospital service and a good private hospital service. Base hospitals were expensive to institute and maintain properly and he was of opinion that only a certain number conld be adequately developed in the Dominion. He held that other hospitals in a district in which a base hospital existed should* be definitely affiliated to it for special purposes and that base hospitals should receive a special grant or subsidy totalling £50,000 a year for the whole Dominion fo enable them to fulfil properly their functions and develop the necessary special departments.

Dr. Wylie said the officers of the department had considered the grouping of the various hospitals in the Dominion and their recommendations were that the following affiliations be carried out: —Bay of Islands, with Whangarei as the base hospital; Coromandel and Waihi with Thames: Inangathua with Grey; Picton with Wairau.: Wallace and Fiord wjth Southland; Whangaroa, Mangonur, Hokianga and Kaipara with Auckland; Tauranga and Bay of Plenty with Rotorua; Taumarunui with Waikato; Waiapu with Cook; Wairoa and Northern Waipawa with Hawke’s Bay; Hawke’s Bay Southern with Palmerston North; Stratford and Hawera with Patea; Ashburton with North Canterbury: Vincent, Maniototo and South Ota’cro with the Otasro base hospital. There should be no offiliations in respect of the Wairarapa, Wellington and South Canterbury hospital board districts. He was firmly convinced that a considerable field ‘existed for the department to institute more economic methods of hospital administration, particularly in purchasing, storing and the use of hospital supplies of all descriptions. A new officer —an inspecting house steward —had been recently appointed, whose duties would be to visit and inspect hospitals, particularly in connection with these matters, and he felt sure Uiat as a result of bis appointment substantial economies could be effected within a short space of time.