The Hospital Question

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 20, 1 May 1929, Page 7

The Hospital Question

Battle Begins Chairman Defends Board’s Policy Facts And Figures From Both Sides At the Ratepayers meeting last Tuesday week the number ot Councillors, members of the Hospital Board, and intending candidates iorthese two local bodies far outnumbered the ratepayers present. Mr H B Matthews stated that the question of one hospital or two was to be made a strong point at the coming election. It was a matter on which the ratepayers needed some enlightment Mr Kitchen : It is a privilege of the Chairman of the Hospital to speak first. Mr Houston: 1 decline to lead off, an attack has been made on the policy of the Board and I want to hear the opposition. Those who are going to inaugurate a new policy can lead off. Mr Kitchen : I have been of the opinion for many years that the County could not stand the cost of two hospitals and I have always voted that way. This case means a loan, a3O bed hospital built in brick will cost £19,000, in wood 20% less, It would mean £6OO in interest but a saving in the staff ot £9OO per year. A doctor here would do the work for £3OO per year which would be a considerable saving. The present cost for an anaesthetic is £5-5-0, this could be done for £l-l-0 with the hospital at Kair, taia, We can claim the right to have the hospital where the people want it most and we can cater for their wants better and more effectively and with a saving to the ratepayers by having the one

institution.” Mr Michie said that there was no new policy being adopted by the Board; it was a continuation of the views held three years ago. He was working to strengthen the feeling that the main hospital should be in a central situation and ratepayers should, put members in office that will work to bring pressure to bear on the powers that be. A vote of the ratepayers would have given an indication of the feeling of the * people. There is five-sixths ol the population in the Western Area, and four-fifths of thejpatients treated at Mangonui belong to the Western Area. This large majority is growing year by year but the Eeastern Area is not growing at the same rate. Mr Michie went on to say that he was in favourof two hospitals at the time the Kaitaia hospital was built and it has been justified. The Kaitaia hospital with 8 beds dealt with 118 cases last year and the Mangonui hospital with 32 beds dealt with 276 cases. In fairness to Mangonui he would say that many of the cases here were for only a short time. The Natives have contributed a large amount of funds towards this hospital and have not received any benefit up to .the pre- , sent time. Speaking of the Mangonui Hospital Mr Michie said he would not favour scrapping it. The t new Board should bring pressure to bear on the officials of the Health Department and get them to turn it into a sanatorium for the treatment of indigent cases and cronic cases. He would not be in lavour oMepriving the East of hospital' accommodation altogether and would propose leaving a small portion of the present hospital where the staff of the

proposed sanatoriun could treat urgent cases without additional cost to the ratepayers. Mr Barriball said that if a poll of the ratepayers was taken together withjthe election the ratepayers would not know what they were voting on. As Far as he was concerned it made no difference where the hospital was so long as it agrees with the majority of the ratepayers. It is quite a different matter getting ratepayers tothe hospital to what it was some years ago. Mr Barriball concluded by saving that if the Minister agreee to the shifting of the hospital then put it to the ratepayers.

MrJN Berghan said that the hospital- should be in a central position and a referendum of the ratepayers should have been taken on the matter otherwise when the Minister comes up he will say we are a divided house. One hospital could be run cheaper than two and the people who foot the bill should have the say. He agreed with Mr Michie re Mangonui Hospital, he was not in favour of tearing it down but favoured the establishment of one institution.

Mr Holder: 1 may be an aspirant at the Hospital Board elections and my views are that one hospital should be in a central position. He thought Mangonui Hospital could be used for some other purpose. Mr Houston asked why the agitation had been deferred until this late hour. It was difficult to get the Minister to agree to an accident ward at Kaitaia. Mr Houston said he was not against the establishment of the main •hospital here, it would come, but the County could not stand a loan at the present time. The

people have stated that they are not able to pay the Drainage rate. Mr Houston went on to point out that the Hospital rate had been reduced since the Kaitaia Hospital was established. Three years ago the rate was 2d, to-

day it was ifgd., and if there wa

insufficient accommodation at the Kaitaia hospital pressure could be brought to bear on the Government and an additional wing could be built.

Mr Houston slated that MiKitchen said that a 30 bed hospital built in brick would cost £*9-000. We have two hospitals to-duv with 40 beds and the building of the new hospital would desrease not increase the number of beds.” said Mr Houston, “We must look ahead and have a hospital that contains more beds than the two hospitals put together, otherwise we would have to go to the ratepayers for a further loan.” He was not against taking a referendum ot the ratepayers but favoured putting the matter before the Minister firstand get his consent. The ratepayers could not be told correctly what the cost of a new hospital would be and tire town vote would be one of the householders whereas the country vote would be only the ratepayers.

Three years ago the Hospital Board had an overdraft of £BOO ; at the 31st March last they had a credit of These figures deny that the cost of administration has increased.

Mr Houston stated that he did not care whether he was returned or not, but he was not going to get votes under false pretences. He was not in favour ot an alteration at the present time and he would move when the time came if he was in office, to bring the change about when the population increased.

Mr Mclntosh said that the Town Area was in favour of the main hospital at Kaitaia, In or-

der to deal with the increased accommodation required for pat' ients at Kaitaia they would have to increase the Kaitaia hospital. Unless a majority of members in favour of the main institution at Kaitaia, was returned, it would put the clock back 8 years. “The present Board has no policy,” said Mr Mclntosh “being divided 4-4. The Minister said that tt the people wanted the main hospital here he would grant it.”

The discussion continued for some time amongst those present at the meeting, being mostly a repitition of what has already been reported.