MATERNITY AID

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 250, 20 July 1939, Page 8

MATERNITY AID

Thames-Tauranga And Auckland Central STATE’S CONTRIBUTION Dominion Special Service AUCKLAND, July 19. With more than £4500 paid out in benefits, 463 cases have come within the scope of the maternity section of the Social Security Act in Auckland Central and Thames-Tauranga health districts since the introduction of the scheme on May 15. Twenty-eight private maternity hospitals and seven public annexes administered by hospital boards have shared in the distribution. Two types of maternity service are provided under the scheme. In public institutions and in a few private hospitals payment from the fund is accepted in full settlement of fees which were previously chargeable to the patient, but in the case of most of the private institutions the Social Security contribution is received only in partial satisfaction of charges ordinarily payable.

All but two of the private maternity hospitals in Auckland have contracted to provide services in terms of the Act. On the total amount of £4500 paid out in benefits, nearly £3OOO has been received by licensees of private hospitals, while about £7OO has gone to hospital boards controlling maternity annexes. Free service is also provided under the scheme at St. Helens Hospital, which is administered by the Health Department, and about 100 patients have been admitted to this institution since May 15. This number is in addition to 463 cases, which have received attention from other hospitals or obstetric nurses.