$l00,000 on offer

Press, 24 March 1977, Page 3

$l00,000 on offer

The Ashburton Hospital Board has asked the Health Department that its 19761977 price stabilisation grant of 3103,865 be given to the North Canterbury Hospital Board. fn a letter to the DirectorGeneral of Health (Dr H. J. H. Hiddlestone), the Ashburton board said that after assessing its finances it was unlikely the grant would be needed. It was suggested that it be given to the North Canterbury board.

This unusual course of action was taken because of strong community interests shared by the boards and in appreciation of help given by the North Canterbury board in medical and surgical services.

At a meeting of the North Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday, the chairman (Mr T. C. Grigg) said it was a tremendous good-will gesture by the Ashburton board, for which his board was most grateful.

On a" medical level a close working relationship had been maintained between the two boards. The gesture showed bow concerned boards were that the best possible use be made of all money allocated to North Canterbury. The chairman of the finance committee (Mr C. F. Whitty) said that many small boards were unable to spend funds, and the North Canterbury board appre-

elated the gesture from Ashburton. Mrs M. McG. Clark said many boards had generous allocations which they were hard put to use. This cooperation at hospital board level should be encouraged. Some boards were “undernourished,” while others spent their allocations to use them up. The cnairman of the works committee (Mr H. T. Dean) said the Health Department should be asked for a fairer distribution of funds.

Permission had not yet been received from the Health Department for the North Canterbury board to accent the money, the meeting was told.