FULL FEES TO BE PAID

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 281, 12 November 1929, Page 6

FULL FEES TO BE PAID

THE PARKE ISLAND REQUEST. HOSPITAL BOARD UPHOLDS , DCISION. The Hawke’s Bay Hospital Board was yesterday requested by the Parke Island Committee to reconsider its previous decision in the matter of hospital fees charged for inmates treated, but the boardj after a discussion, adhered to its previous decision that it could not make any reduction in the fees charged. Mr C. 0. Morse (chaiiman) stated that quite recently information was received that the Hospital Boards’ Association had decided that in future mil fees should Ik l paid by the Prisons Board, and he considered that the board should take that as a lead and insist on' receiving full fees. Mr C. H. Williams pointed out that members of the committee seemed io be of opinion that their request had been turned down peremptorily by tne board, and that they were entitled to reasons why the full fees were peremptorily by the board and that they were entitled to reasons why the full fes were demanded. He considered that they had put up a failcase.

Mr C. Duff, in moving that full fees be charged, considered that the reasons given for the request were not at all convincing. The home was a department or branch hospital, and if the fees of any inmate from there were not paid in full tb.e ratepayers would have an extra burden to bear. ]t bad been stated that the board received on an average only about 50 per cent, of its fees, but that was only half the truth, as the board insisted that anyone who could should pay his account in full. The extra burden should not be thrown on to the ratepayers of Napier and Hastings. They should not have to pay a proportion of the charge of any patient from Dannevirke or Waipukurau. Mr Morse pointed out that the agreement said that full fees should be paid, and he added that if the board sent a patient to Pukeora or Rotorua, full fees had to be paid. Mr Duff’s motion was then carried.