HOSPITAL FEES

Wairarapa Age, 26 February 1927, Page 3

HOSPITAL FEES

MAORIS BAD DEFAULTERS.

ACTION BY BOARDS.

TO RECOVER OVERDUE AMOUNTS.

Though the Maori claims equal rights with the European in the matter of health treatment in hospitals and sanitoria, the question of paying for that treatment is, according to responsible authorities, regarded by the Maori as quite another matter and boards throughout the Dominion are experiencing great difficulty in collecting dues from natives, a large proportion of the amounts being written off as irrecoverable.

The secretary (Mr. H. Green) read a letter at yesterday's meeting of the Wairarapa Hospital Board, from the Hospital Boards' Association of New Zealand which stated that various boards were experiencing difficulty in collecting hospital and sanitoria fees from Maoris. The question of indigent natives and the heavy burden which some districts had to bear was at present before the Government, and the intention of the association was to endeavour to promote legislation giving better means of enforcing payment of hospital debts due by Maoris in good circumstances, including attachments of rents. Information was being gathered from all boards as to their experience in collecting Maori debts so that a strong case could he placed before the Government. AN INSTRUCTIVE RETURN. The secretary stated that he had furnished a return on behalf of the Wairarapa Board, showing that for the past twelve months, of £450 due by Maoris, only £2B had been paid as follows:— Fees Collectable Collected

Mr. Green added that while the amount of irrecoverable dues was large, some hospital board districts were in a much worse position than Wairarapa. Mr. J. F. Thompson stated that the association could not gtet far with attachments of .rent, as the native laws protected Maori rents and freeholds from such procedure. ’

£ £ jMastcrton .. . . .. 122 24 Greytown . • . .. 32S 4 Total .. , 28