BOARD AND DEPARTMENT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 104, 13 April 1933, Page 3

BOARD AND DEPARTMENT

PUKEORA NEGOTIATIONS, THE FINANCIAL VIEWPOINT. (Special Representative,) The proposal that the Waipawa Hospital Board should assume control of the Pukeora Sanatorium is one that has occasioned a great deal of discussion. This matter was brought up at the recent meeting of the Waipukurau County Council, and was the subject of a resolution to be forwarded to the Hospital Board, the discussion of which, is reported in another column. At the monthly meeting of the Patangata County Council on Tuesday the proposed control of the sanatorium was again discussed, whilst at the Waipawa Hospital Board meeting yesterday it occasioned even further and fuller discussion. Tho subject was introduced by the reading of a report of a meeting of the Pukeora Sanatorium Investigations Committee, held at the Waipukurau Hospital recently. At that meeting there were present Messrs W. H. Rathbone (chairman of the board), H. W. White, R. A. Fraser, T. P. Hunter, N. G. Hawthorn, Dr. G. McLean (medical superintendent of the Pukeora Sanatorium) an ’ Mr P. R. Smyrk, secretary to the board. The report stated: “The committee went fully into various reports and information available and is satisfied that with the existing number of occupied beds the board would be well advised to carry on further negotiations with the department. It is considered that the establishment of the institution should be for not more than 100 at present. The committee further decided to ask for definite guarantees against loss in the event of a falling off in the number of occupied beds. “The committee also considered that it is too early to make a full report to the beard, but has invited officers of the department to meet the committee first of all, and then report later to the full board. Advice has since been received that the Director-General of Health, with another officer of the department, would be prepared to meet the committee, on or about the 26th instant, but the date has not yet been finalised. “The secretary has been instructed to prepare a full questionnaire for consideration with the departmental officers." MEMBERS’ DISCUSSION. The chairman remarked that there were several matters that required consideration, one of which was the maintenance repairs of a number of the shelters, and another, which was most important and would have to be discussed with the departmental officers, was the guarantee against loss if tho number of patients did not keep to a prescribed minimum. Certain capital equipment was also required, and it would be some time before the board could say definitely what it intended doing. The investigations committee had spent considerable time on the matter, said Mr R. A. Fraser, and was trying to safeguard the interests of the ratepayers. This was one reason why he had voiced his objection to Mr Russell’s remarks. Mr Hawthorn said in reference to a remark passed at the Patangata County’s meeting that the taking over of the sanatorium “would be a good business proposition." Such a statement might depreciate the value of the board’s efforts to make a satisfactory arrangement with the Health Department. The sanatorium was not a sound business proposition unless a guarantee were given by the department. The speaker continued that the public reading the newspapers were quite liable to gather the impression that the board would be doing an unwise thing if it did not take over. But, he pointed out, the board would not be taking over the sanatorium for the benefit of the ratepayers, but merely to make it pay its way. “The board has nothing to gain, and everything to lose,” said the chairman, adding that the board would need considerable assistance from the department.