NEW FEVER HOSPITAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 6

NEW FEVER HOSPITAL.

DIVIDING THE COST. "

' A. DISAGREEMENT.

Delegates from certain local bodies mot at the Town-Hall yesterday aftornoon-to disousß questions conneoted with the provision of a now fever hospital. Dr. J. IJ.1 J . Frongloy (Dibtriot Health Officor) 'presided, and tho representatives of tho local municipalities wore as follow:—Messrs. J. I'. Luko, M.P. (Wellington), J. Cr. Harkncss (Onslow), C.l. Dasent (Karon),'C. J. Crawford (Miramar), J. W. M'Ewan (Petone), E. P:- Bufmy (Lower Hutt), and R. Bold (Johnsonville Town' Board). The Hon. C.-M. Lulto,' M,L,G., Chairman of tho Hospital Trustoes, was also .prosont. ■ • . Dr. Frengley explained that it had been proposed that the area of contribution should include, besides the' districts represented, the borough of Lovin, the countics of Horowhonua. Hutt. and Makara, and tho,Upper Hutt: Town District. Dr. Valintine had, however, dcoidod,' after full consideration, that, snch area was too, largo, as it was undesirable that scarlet • fover, olid other

infectious cases, ■>should -■•travel, a .long distance to the ''hospital:-. ..Tfte apportionment: of cost would.havo to bo on a.basis of popu- ; Elation ,and, accessibility, "-'and as (important changes smce' the last .oensus, he had obtained from the local bodies an estimate of ; the population of the areas under' their control, as. on December 31, 1908. • • * '- ;Dr.. -Prengley. uieii'':submitted ! an .extensive' tabular, statement, , showing what ■ ; sh'arb;. of' the total cost Uwhich' tho' Hospital Trustees estimated at, £17,000, -as the .least, amount that' could, suffice); jinigbt Bs apportioned -to .enbH •and--.-liow; the several amounts},.were,^arrived;-at. 1 .;-. The ; .authorities .were ditided into,; tiwo'.groupsi.'as-below,-it' the * Hospital would'be' -20'-per cent.' less-accessible tb the inhabitants,;of. Group B than to those of, GKronp' A.".-. The- results arrived at; were .as follow: . ' '. ' !■'•• ' /'v.; - . .. Group A. , . -- Percentage, - ~ -- ■• - ■ - '•■ , of total Population. Allocation., cost. r.~ ;-.v : ' £ ' s. d; . : City 68,185 " 7j176 - 2 i 84:43 Miramar ... 1,500 158 5 9 1 86 Karori 1,250 . , 130-17/9 .1.54 Onslow 1,375 144 119 1.70 . ; -.72.310 ' 7,609-17...7. - Group' B. ~.-../ Petone ....'i - 5,890 • ■ 6 • 5.66 Lower Hutt 4,000 -327 0 8 ■ 3.85 Johnsonvillo 1,000 ' 81 14 3 .96 ■' - : . 10,890-,;.' 890-2 5 Totals v 83,200 £8,500 0 0 ■ 100.00 ;; .The cases.'of'scarlet fever-' eent in'-during three, years.' iaiding;fMa'r6h 1909,' werefollow:—City,; 428;' Mirainar, 7-• Karori,l9 j Onslow, 2; Petone, 10 j, tower. l . Hu£t, . 10; total,': ,476.'. It;was explained that these flgures;.must;'be'/:taken 'as' approximate -only. on : account of tho formation tion:df: boundaries of old, ; districts'." ' i..'-;.'/: In reply 'to- questions, the' District 'Health - Ofiioer said ,that' EastDoiirne "Borough' .was; ' not, inqliided,'., becauso cases'. could \ : not 'betaken across ,'the. harbour, ;.'and-the .distance by road-was . top great. Makara County was also'pon'sidere<l, ! ..for the most part;' tioo remote,, There, was provision' .in the Act for payments' op account of patients from suoh districts, to to recovered from the' local authorities. . No .infectious case had been admitted, to the' WellingtonHospit'al;'from : r 'Eastbournesin'ce; the borough;was.formed. - . ~Mr; Bold; pointed out that a fairly thickly-, settled parfc pf' Makara County,,including the I'aparangi . aiid llawkesbury'; • settlements, was as n«ir as J6linsonville to the city; ■ ' ; ' Jlr. J. P. . Luke submitted- that the. district ;shou]d be/asilafgo as that cojitrolled by the Hospital , Board. .The'' Echeme outlined seemed to him' parochial anil retrograde. Under tho Bill that'.had been', foreshadowed basis';jof . hospital administration -was' to -bS'' broadenedj ind: he 'did not : think ;the scheme; ' now Bubmitted would bo acceptable/He fully appreciated-the 'work ' done: by' tho Healtli: t Department, and'thought/that with more of;' the saimo kind .of .activity; there' should iiot ; ; bo .V liecessity for: spending ■ as ; j much . as. - £17,000' on an' infectious diseases hospital. ThO' City/Council;''>as' fully prepared to do' its share, but they thought-it would not be wise to incur so .large an expenditure as pro-; posed at present',^seeing that the area'might do altered, .and- it 'might. be deemed ■ advis-. able, to remove >the hospital; out of the ■ city at a'future time. was his firm opinion: that tho infectious hospital should; be built, in wood, instead of ■ brick, so. that it would ; bo much cheaper, and could be demolished, in a few years'if. - necessary.,!He compli--mented Dr: "Frorigley'.cn the wiy. . had - presented the figures "affecting the: matter. ' . : '-Vv-v; Dr- Frenglnv sairl' the meeting: was. - U>." ehouia ho.L

boroo by tho rosikioLivo local boilira, but thoy had 110 power to dototmino how much should bo spoilt. At Auckland Mio infcotioUß hospital (iroft' wnii niiiiiiiii' to Unit proposed, tho radius lx>ing roue,lily twelve miles, and the local bodies whiiiiwl to'.'bo satisfied. It would bo inbnnuiij to briiiK ft 1 littlo obild fliifformg. from nanrlot fovor rrom J-ovin or from ilio romoto parts • of Malmra County into Wellington, and the law permitted ca&us to bo troatod nt homo. if thoy coiild bo isolated. In,.the, last tlireo yeani ; there lind been 101-1 ojis«s of scarlet /over in Wollington-, but only '128' woro troated; in-tlio hospital. More ,would have boon .treated in tlio hospital if. tlio. nmmimwlatioir, Imd. boon available, • If; tlio' (lologiitca- could not unanimously agree, the,' mutter would'-five to\bo .M1t1«1,%'..a ,mni;i(itrftto in lorinn of tlio Act- The wtiimito of £17,000 included fnrnituro and everything ncoesßiiry, and, ho wnfi surdtlio Dopnrfnieut would-consider tho question nf. reducing' the cost.- • ■,Mr. K. J*. Jimmy said llint Ivower Ilutt, in 1005, was .cbiilriuutitt|s 1:287 in respect of hospital uJid olmritnblfl aid, and this year £8-16, of which £020 14s. was for hospital administration,' Tho borough was now boing asked to assume a new liability of £327, malting tho total £1000.' That would mean a, farming rnto, Ho would lilro to know if tho monoy had to bo supplied by a'fixed date,

The Hon. Mr. Luke said' the.. payments could be spread over aperiod, ; if'the-tnis-.tees: were'empowered: to raise a loan.'Mr:" 'Bunny further' contended ' ■ that : ( the sum apportioned by Dr.-'Frengley: to Lower Hutt was too great.' ''' : • Mr;;M*Ewan. 'moved 'to : ' ,ask the '.Chief Health' Officer to reconsider the matter,' with a-'view to making-the contributing' coterminous '. with the' Wellington' Hospital District. ■'..-' .:' ■,•• ■.':-, ■ '■.-.:■ . ■■■■•■. .:•■■■ ' Mr. J.vG.'Harkne'ss seconded, this. Ho said the .furthest part of the Onslow Borough was: five miles from'the city■ ■' boundary,- and yet Ngahaurariga','- a. congested' area', only''2} miles from -the city-boundary;'■-was excluded from 'the .scheme. Onslow 'paid '£134 llastyear for the,hospital, '£185'"this'year,' arid, ■was. .'how acked/'for another. £144, aria, the cost; 'of ! maintenance ~had riot/.beeri stated. The contribution asked; of Onslow was' ex--ces'sive'.' /' ~ '-' ■' ;•/..;■ ■.. '■ ...■'•■• ....; '

The Hon. Mr. Luke said the cost of maintenance might' bo inferred.from- the fact that in the general hospital it was from 4s. to 4s. 6d. per head per day. :Mr. Crawford said, that, a >brick building had ' not been' siown to , be' necessary. As his' borough..was,only' to be asked for, £158, he could hardly . quibble about such a sum. The Hon.,'lMr. Luke quoted /medical; .opin-. ion :;Str.ongly,.against;.woqd.''aß:<.a budding material for a. fever hospital, on the ground of affording harbourago for; germs. Mr.;. , said he would not like the Borough of Karori to' be. called, upon, for the' proposed contribution ' iduring the, current year./'" '■ The. resolution was carried unanimously/ Dr-.-Frengley.said that the adjacent local bodies would not. get ; off..tdo lightly:.if they paid for tie..maintenance of patients from; :their' ! districts whoVc'ould riot afford the.,fees.' 110- wonld represent' tho viowa of the' meeting to tho Chief Health. Officer. '■;. , '; Another/resolution; was carried expressing the opinion that the sum of £17,000. was too much to spend in providing for 39 patients, and' asking • the Hospital Trustees' to reconsider the estimate. . ' ; Tho.meeting adjourned' for threo. weeks.