FUTURE OF HOSPITALS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 29, 28 June 1939, Page 5

FUTURE OF HOSPITALS

NATIONALISATION PROPOSAL BRIEF COUNCIL DISCUSSION The opinion that it might be better to wait 1- months to see what was the effect of the new Social Security Act's provisions as regards hospitals, was advanced when the Whakatane County Council at its meeting on Tuesday had before it a letter from the Takapuna Borough Council asked for support of a resolution stat ing that the council felt that a. very unjust burden is being placed upon ratepayers regarding hospital finance, inasmuch as ratepayers ai*e paying dual taxes, and as it is the apparent intention of the Government to make increasing use of public hospitals through the operation of the Social Security the Takapuna Council was of the opinion that the time i s opportune for the Government to treat the health of the people as its responsibility, to nationalise hospitals antl create a State Medical Service. < .Cr Burnett said that this would certainly help to relieve the burden on the ratepayers, but after Cr F. J. Burt had explained the position regarding the hospital board revenue, he sa.id it might be wise to refrain from taking any action until the scheme had had a period of trial, though they could hardly expect that the present levy on the ratepayers would be greatly reduced. It would be quite safe to support the resolution said Cr C. MeCready. He thought there was gencr'al support for nationalisation of hospitals Cr Smith doubted whether hospitals should be nationalised from the point of view of efficiency. He thought it would bring high costs

and poor service.