AT VARIANCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 15 December 1924, Page 9

AT VARIANCE.

HOSPITAL BOARD’S OBLEC&ION

to frieNdly. Stand

[An objection by the Taranaki United F riendly Societies’ Association to paying an outside patient’s hospital account urns strongly commented on at to-day’s meeting of the Hawern Hospital Board. Members considered * the Association’s altitude to be very unfair, and the remark was passed that it would lie beter if such patients were ‘‘pushed into hospital.”] The matter arose over the Association refusing to pay the hospital account of an out-patient’ because the account included a charge for massage. The. patient in question had been a patient,in the hospital, and his account .incurred during ; the stay there had been paid by the Association. The medical superintendent, however, had discharged the man so that lie would be able to finish his treatment as an out-patient and his bed in the hospital Would be available for someone else. When the Board supplied the Association with an account incurred by the liiafi when ail out-patient, the Association turned it down on tlie grounds time they did not pay for massage treatment.

, v The secretary of the Board (Mr C. M. Haggett) stated that one of the Association’s rules Stipulated that they would not be responsible for the payment of charges made in respect of ambulance. X-ray treatment, operations, exEfa doctor, massage, serum, consultation fees or any other charges outside the ordinary hospital charge. Mr A. Campbell moved that the Societies’ Association be written to and informed that if they did 'not agree to pay the fees in such gases thfe Whole arrangement whereby the Association, was granted concessions ‘Would toe reconsidered.

Mr J. S. McKay pointed out that many wealthy men who could well afford to "pay the ordinary fate of 9s 6d per day com’e under the arrangement with the Friendly Societies, and so paid 6s 6d pet day. Mr Tayler thought that the Board should not be too drastic, but the chairman said he did not think the motion could do any harm. Mr McKay seconded Mr Campbell’s motion, ‘which Was then carried.