HOSPITAL FINANCES Estimates Framed for New Year

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 93, 21 April 1942, Page 6

HOSPITAL FINANCES

Estimates Framed for New Year

LEVIES BACK TO HIGHER LEVEL The levy on local bodies contributing to the Palmerston North Hospital finances, will amount this year to £48,469 —maintenance £38,158, capital £10,311. The war has increased the demands on hospital facilities and has resulted in the levy going back to The 3938-39 level when £48,282 was contributed. Last year it had been reduced to £44,788. Details of the major items of income and expenditure, as adopted by the Hospital Board yesterday, are as follows: MAINTENANCE RECEIPTS Patients’ Payments: Estimate last year £45,000, actual receipts £48,303, proposed estimate £59,300. For the past year numbers at Palmerston North Hospital for in-patients have not been quite so high as anticipated when the estimates were framed, due to the policy of keeping a certain number of beds vacant for emergency purposes during the last four months of tho year. With the opening of the Centenial hospital the numbers can be expected to go up somewhat this year. Otaki Sanatorium Fees: Estimate last year £13,500, actual receipts £13,891, proposed estimate £16,500. The reason for the substantial increase in the estimate this year at Otaki is that 10 additional beds were made available during February and a further 6 bods will be available in the near future. This substantial addition to tho Sanatorium will enable us to cater for an average of over 80 patients. Awapuni Home Fees: Estimate last year £6200, actual receipts £7009, proposed estimate £7OOO. Laboratory Fees and Sales of Sera: Estimate last year £I6OO, actual receipts £1663, proposed estimate £I7OO. Awapuni Farm Sales: Estimate last year £IOO, actual receipts £125, proposed estimate £125. Miscellaneous Receipts: Estimate last year £9OO, actual receipts £736, proposed estimate £750. MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS Hospital and Maternity Home: Estimate last year £90,000, actual payments £91,995, proposed estimate £90,000. Costs last year were:—Provisions £9647, surgery and dispensary £10,735, salaries and wages £53,545, domestic and establishment £17,588, miscellaneous £-177. The overexpenditure in hospital maintenance for the past year is accounted for chiefly by the need to build up adequate reserves of drugs. Emergency Hospital Maintenance: Actual payments £1660, proposed estimate £9OOO. The emergency hospital is now fully equipped and will take over 170 patients. Otaki Hospital Maintenance: Estimate last year £-1000, actual payments £3553, proposed estimate £3500. The average number of occupied beds for the past year at the Otaki Hospital has been 7.3. This is the highest figure yet reached. Awapuni Home Maintenance: Estimate last year £7909, actual payments 8130, proposed estimate £BOOO. The Home has again remained full, the average numbew of occupied bods being 72.6 as against 64.7 during the preceding year. The Home costs were; Provisions £1409, surgery and dispensary £l6O, salaries and wages £3974, domestic and establishment £2538, miscellaneous £49. Otaki Sanatorium Alaintenance: Estimate last year £13,500, actual payments £16,071, proposed estimate £15,900. The details of costs are:—Provisions £2122, surgery and dispensary £3BB, salaries and wages £6595, domestic and establishment £5585, and miscellaneous £I3BO. The average number of occupied beds was 65.7 compared jvith 62.8 the previous year. Since tho Board took over the Sanatorium the bed capacity has been increased 50 per cent.

Social Welfare: Estimate last year £I7OO, actual payments £1395, proposed estimate £I2OO.

District Nursing: Estimate last year £4OOO, actual payments £4007, proposed estimate £4IOO. During the past year the volume of work carried out by the District Nurses has increased. Of tho £4IOO proposed to be expended on District Nursing services during the coming year, £SOO will be recovered as a special grant from the Government. Fec-s recoverable will amount to about £4OO and towards the balance of expenses the Government provides the usual subsidy. There are 10 District Nurses employed in the board’s district. Administration: Estimate last year £4200, actual payments £4756, proposed estimate £4750. The work of tho office has increased considerably during the year. This is partly due to tho fact that a very largo number of patients are now Army cases and to the necessity for emergency work to be undertaken. Alaintenance of Patients in Other Institutions.- Estimate last year £4300, actual payments £4757, proposed estimate £4400. Interest on Loans: Estimate last year £4400, actual payments £3850, proposed estimate £5050. Contribution to National Provident Fund: Estimate last year £I2OO, actual payments £2004, proposed estimate £IBOO. Awapuni Farm Alaintenance: Estimate last year £ISOO, actual payments £1763, proposed estimate £I7OO. The increase in tho estimate is necessary owing’to the increased demand for farm products this year. Palmerston North Ambulance Service: Estimate last year £1550, actual payments £I9SJ, proposed estimate £I9OO. Otaki Ambulance Service: Estimate last year £750, actual payments £785, proposed estimate £BOO. CAPITAL ACCOUNT The main items in the capital expenditure are:—Uncompleted works £7070, sinking fund instalments £8978, Feilding property £1250, Foxton property £750, X-rav equipment £ISOO, district nurse car £290, Centennial, hospital equipment £I3OO, water mains £I2OO, surgical instruments £IOO, alterai tions nurses’ home £3OO, miscellaneous j £IOO. Total £25,810. On the receipts side the outstanding subsidy amounts to | £2290 while £I2OO is due from the Government on account of E.P.S. expenditure. HOW AREAS WILL PAY The contributions from the local bodies will be as follows, last year’s figures being Bhown in parenthesis:— Kiwitea £4259 (£3999), Pohangina £IOOB (£1876), Alanawatu £6760 (£6307), Oroua £5296 .Cs4sßs)*Jxairanga

£6445 (£6146), Horowhenua £6961 (£65.17), Feilding £2149 (£1996), Palmerston North £12,052 (£11,015), Foxton £453 (£373), Shannon £222 (£208), Levin £1356 (£1232), Otaki £5lO (£472). MONTHLY ALEETING At the monthly meeting of the Hospital Board yesterday, the managingsecretary, Mr. A. J. Phillipps, reported that the Centennial hospital had been finished by tho contractor. The Defence Construction Commissioner had advised that the Nurses’ Home building was to be proceeded with, with all urgency and that detailed plans for the out-patients’ block were to be finalised as soon as possible. Patients admitted during March numbered 349 while 322 wore discharged and 14 had died. The daily average number of occupied beds was 203.45. At the Intermediate School hospital there had been a daily average of 49.93, but a day or two ago there were 120 soldiers there. Infectious diseasos cases remaining in hospital at the end of Alarch were 7 of diptheria, ’5 of cerebro-spinal meningitis and one of hydatid cyst. Babies born at tho Alaternity Home numbered 19. It was decided to follow the Government example and grant the 5 per cent, increase in wages to the staff.