SICK SOLDIERS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20958, 10 November 1939, Page 7

SICK SOLDIERS

HOSPITAL TREATMENT ARRANGEMENT FOR FEES CONVALESCENT HOME OFFER Details regarding the payment to hospital boards for the treatment of soldier patients were received by the Waikato Hospital Board yesterday from the Direc-tor-General of Health, Dr. M. H. Watt. The treatment will be paid for at the rate of 11s a day, whereas the usual hospital board fee for patients is 12s a day. The payment for soldiers will be made by drawing 6s from the Social Security fund and 5s from the War Expenses Account. The board decided to accept the arrangements as from October 17. As a war measure, the board may find it necessary to move civilian patients to other hospitals to make accommodation available for soldiers. It was decided, subject to the approval of other hospital boards in New Zealand, to accept 11s a day, less 6s a day from the Social Security, for such civilian patients. Treatment at Camp Mr R. Eyre inquired if it were not possible for the mild cases of influenza among soldiers, which had resulted in crowding the hospital, to be treated in the camp hospital. The chairman replied that, it depended on the condition of the men whether they were transferred to the Waikato Hospital. The military doctors were the only persons who could say when hospital treatment was necessary. Dr R. S. A. Graham, acting-medi-cal superintendent of the hospital, said the matter was one of Government policy. Government conditions were that no soldier was to be retained in the camp hospital if he were off duty for more than 48 hoursBryant Home Offer Appreciation was expressed regarding the offer of Mr D. V. Bryant, of Hamilton, to make the Bryant Home, Raglan, available as a convalescent home for soldiers, without cost to the board. Dr Graham said a convalescent home for soldiers coming away from the Waikato Hospital would be very useful, particularly in cases where men from districts outside the Waikato had no home to go to before returning to military duties. “ Last week,” said Dr Graham, “we were overwhelmed with soldiers coming from Hopu Hopu with influenza. There were no soldiers convalescent at the time and we needed bods for additional men coming in from the camp. If we could have sent convalescent civilian patients to the Bryant Home we could have made room for all the soldiers at the Waikato Hospital.” Dr Graham added that when there were soldiers convalescing it could be understood that they were to be given preference at Bryant Home over civilians. The doctor expected that if the establishment at the Hopu Hopu camp remained at about 1000, as it was at present, about 20 to 30 patients would be in the hospital all the time. The chairman of the board, Mr F. Findlay, Dr Graham, and Mr T. G. Reynolds, were appointed a committee to confer with Mr Bryant regarding the use of Bryant Home for convalescents.