TOO MANY HOSPITALS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LIII, Issue 8685, 12 September 1924, Page 8

TOO MANY HOSPITALS

amalgamation nii'i'it i r j;n

••Til.' lAi.-tHiL 11 auu'tt’.irk ill "Ur ni>;U i.'n i- 1 1111 nias-aw j ‘ > r ll„. m-nd' ..I ill.- tV-iiuni.n;, am! rvm with a nival i ia'avav in tinr P"P U^1 ' ti, m . it j- niiirt- 111 u l 't i< i n a' : il i * wli-nlmr -yinr 11 1 Ihr .-vM:,:,. in-jiital district' fu ,\s. any lo.Liirai iva.'Oi: lur nulw- ] •<■ 111U*iit vM-miuv i roiii a mnalili.ia riii.i; ,; |vU i ( -t dndaiv- th*' !)i rrcti 1 ,j' Uvallh ii; his annual ivpiat. 11*' ;I( j,js, howovci'. that amainainat iuiiv an*' diflicult task- t:. aimnuiplisii. and alK'lnpl- in tin- pas', have nsiillnl in j' ;) |l, ]ri .. 1 ■ I .(M.a i sent iiacnt in"" hp-^l- - tin* IVpart r.u ni is VxpncUal t** j ii,, v ;d< ■tall ui 1 iart- ail I huMix- in .support it' proposal- P*r ainaiyama-

lii'ii. :i"iini<. 1 nt■- of a general nature not liC'iiiL; >uffivionl. I.mwvi'r ulivioih. In fl lirii!n ;ii.inil the desired result. Ih'ietI\ i,i 11j;i"V I' l ' stated. T‘! i> is lIh 1 niily serious drawback iimi handicap In n'ir he-pital sy.sloiti. which ha- been the .>n hjeet of favourable cniiiim'iu the world over, and ha-- been. being, adopted in oilier part' ol' the F.mpiae. In distrifts ol’sufficient size to comprise totli a dase and secondary hospital, we- find little, it any. inc-ease in expenditure or enlargement of .secondary i Ist itntion.s. winch mereiv serve as I'eoilers tor the main institution in neighbouring districts. Howovrr, where thero is no hast* hospital we find precisely similar secondary institutions developing in base hospitals. with all the resulting expensive buildings, equipments, staff and technique. Nothing the Department can do to keep hospital expenditure within reasonable limits, and .so lighten the burden on rates and op the. Consolidated Fund, can have any effect unless a clearly understood policy against further splitting of districts is strongly adhered to. Further, tliid should ho accompanied by a general recognition of the desirability of and a- movement towards the amalgamation of many ol the existing districts. “During the year .subsidies paid to hospital hoards amounted to €-107,-147. or L‘l2.ood less than that estimated and appropriated, hut the amount of subsidies outstanding at the close of the year was €bOO() more than estimated. The expenditure on account of subsidies' was* €11.007 less than in’ the previous year, which, in turn, was €42.207 Jess than the voar preceding. The amount required for the current year will prohahlly show an inc-ease of about €120,000. some €430.000 of which will h * due to maintenance of .subsidy rates, and some ,€30,000 will he represented

h. increased capital expenditure. Mauv hoards are showing a iandihle desire to finance their capital undertakings by means of levy and subsidy instead of by lengthy loans.