NO CONTRIBUTION

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 104, 26 January 1933, Page 7

NO CONTRIBUTION

Hospital Board’s Decision DISTRICT NURSE AT OTAKI Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, Jan- 24. The decision of the December meeting of.the Palmerston North Hospital Board that it could not see its way clear to make a contribution of £5O toward the cost of maintaining a district nursing service at Otaki for, natives, was the subject of a communication received at to-day’s meeting of the board from the DirectorGeneral of Health. In his letter the Director-General ex-pressed-his regret at the - board’s decision in this respect. The Director-General’s note was as follows:— “It will not, I think, be questioned that the hospital board has a definite responsibility’ to the Maori residents as well as to European residents of its district, and in providing the greater part of the cost of the district nursefor the Maoris, the department is giving a special measure of assistance to boards. “There is no question as to the value of the services rendered by the nurse, particularly on the preventive side, thus guarding against expensive hospital treatment in numbers of cases. If the board is not prepared to contribute on the reasonable basis suggested. the department will possible be compelled to withdraw, leaving the board the necessity of making provision.” The board decided to adhere to its previous decision.