HOSPITAL COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1921, Page 5

HOSPITAL COMMISSION.

NATIONALISATION OPPOSED. By Telegraph -Pre«« Association Wellington, April 15. . Giving evidence at the Hospital Commission on the question of control. Mr. E. Killick, secretary of the Public health Department, strongly supported the present system as against the nationalisation to the ratepayers. UnI nationalisation there would be no ck upon the clamor for capital exditure that would arise if all moneys le from the consolidated funds. He ed that the capital expenditures uld not be repaid over such long iods as is now the case, because of great burden of interest. Boards uld not undertake works which could ; be liquidated in say ten years. The rernment should extend the advanes of the State Advances Office to pital boards immediately the finances the Government permitted.

PLUNKET SOCIETY’S WORK.

PAYMENTS BY HOSPITAL PATIENTS. Wellington, Last Night. Giving evidence before the Hospital Commission, Dr. Truby King, Government Director of Child Welfare, traced the history of the operations of the Karitane Hospitals. He said the Plunket Society strongly object to being brought under the control of Hospital boards of the various districts. It was thought that five years from now the Society would need nearly 100 nurses. The society was asking for a total subJridy of £lO,OOO next year. Sir James Wilson, chairman of the Palmerston North Board, stated his board collected 49 per cent, of patients’ fees, against an average of 22 per cent. JYhen a patient came in his money was iut in a safe, and when a patient was teaving he was asked how much he was *oing to pay for maintenance in hospital. The good percentage of fees collected last year might be due to the fact that \ good many of the patients were sorters, for whom the Defence Departent paid.