Northland Hospital Zone Wanted

Northern Advocate, 28 July 1939, Page 6

Northland Hospital Zone Wanted

[Special to “Northern Advocate ”J I KAITAIA, This Day. t The following remit proposed by Mr? A. H. Wright (Kaikohe) was carriede \ at a meeting of the sub-provincial i executive of the Farmrs’ Union at? Kaitaia on Monday: ? • “That this meeting views with $ alarm the increasing cost of hospitals | and considers that all additions to hos-| pitals should be paid for by the Gov- f eminent, and that the Far North hos-• pital boards should receive special |

financial assistance to enable the large Maori population to be provided for adequately.” Mr Wright said the Hokianga Board was definitely against building and had called a conference of the Far Northern boards.

At Kawakawa Hospital, maternity cases had increased by one-third. An inspector had visited the hospital a week or two ago, and had told the board it would have to spend at least £35,000 on the renewal of the old building. This would mean that the ratepayers would have to find about £17,000. Loaded on Farmers The Minister had also suggested that there be a cottage hospital at Kaikohe. A rate of one penny in the £ at Kaikohe would produce about £7O, so that the farmers would have to pay if such a hospital should be established. The chairman of the Hokianga Board had stated that the total payments to Maoris by the Hokianga Dairy Company were £60,000 a year and yet no rates could be collected from those re-

ceiving this money. Representatives of the boards were going to Wellington to interview the Minister with the idea of having a separate hospital zone for the four Northern counties. He understood that this had been promised, but nothing had been done up to the present. With the native population they had, the Government should pay at least 10/- per day per patient.

Mr T. S. Houston, in seconding the motion, said a definite promise had been made by the Minister to have a special zone for the four Northern districts on account of the large native population, and that he would ask local bodies what they considered would be a fair increase for these districts over the 6/-. Higher Subsidy Sought The four boards met in conference and agreed that 9/- would meet the case. They would not pay the full costs, but would help to take over some of the burden off the ratepayers. When this came before the Minister he said he could not do it. In the south, the rate was 2d and 2Jd in the 6/- because there were no natives.

If only 1 per cent, of native fees were collected, the Europeans had to make up the deficiency, and, instead of a hospital rate of id or Id in the south, the rate was 2d and 2?,d in the most Northern districts.

They would have to use their best efforts to get the Government to keep the promise made. Capital costs concerned his own board very much at present. Since free treatment had come in the maternity ward, it had not been half big enough and only the other day there was an excess of three patients. More Patients for Free Treatment

With maternity cases they could not have a waiting list and patients had to be admitted at once. The medical superintendent was demanding more accommodation and the number of patients in other wards was also increasing. There was only a margin of two beds. Either sickness was more prevalent or free treatment was sending more people to the hospital. It was reported at a meeting on Thursday last that for the 12 months there had been an increase of 50 per cent, in the number of occupied beds. If the Government would pay 9/per day for patients the rate would be about Id instead of 2id. Mr Fraser’s Promise Mr Hatrick said the subject of the remit was one of eight points the union had brought before the Government. Mr Fraser, who met the deputation instead of the Prime Minister, agreed that the natives in the North were a separate problem and would have to be dealt with separately.

The motion was carried and it was decided, at the suggestion of Mr Hatrick, to send a telegram, to the Minister backing up the deputation from the hospital boards, which was waiting upon him.