HOSPITAL AT WAIHI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20364, 19 September 1929, Page 12

HOSPITAL AT WAIHI.

CHARGE TO THAMES INMATES.

PROSPECT OF SETTLEMENT.

[.Br TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WAIHI, Wednesday. Prospects of a settlement of tho longstanding dispute between the Waihi and Thames Hospital Boards regarding payment for urgent cases from Thames treated at Waihi were improved at a meeting of tho Waihi Hoard last evening. Mr. S. 11. Brown moved that cases from tho Thames and Tauranga district be treated at tho rate of 9s instead of 12s a day.

Tho Waihi Board's district embraces th 9 borough area alone, and in spito of the fact that there are many hundreds of families for which Waihi is the natural centre, these peoplo pay rates to either the Thames or Tauranga boards. Urgent cases havo therefore to be treated at Waihi, while other people living within two or three miles of the hospital aro obliged to journey approximately 40 miles to receive attention. A movement is on foot to enlarge the Waihi Board's district for the convenience of such cases.

In speaking to his motion Mr. Brown said the outside boards would guarantee 9s a day for those for whom they wero legally liable, in spito of the fact that they often might not be ablo to recover a penny. He suggested that in the event of his motion being carried the Thames Board should be asked to look on cases admitted to the Waihi Hospital in a broader manner and pay as promptly as possible. A member said he thought this somewhat of an insult. Mr. A. E. Robinson: It was also an insult when they said cases classed by our superintendent as urgont were not urgent. The question whether Thames would reciprocato in making a similar charge was raised. Mr. Brown said it was only common sense to expect that this would be done. Waihi treated 20 Thames cases to every ono Waihi case that Thames treated, and Thames only charged 12s a day because Waihi did. Mr. Brown's motion, which was seconded by Mrs. S. F. Williams, was carried by six votes to two. It was further agreed to ask tho Thames Board to view urgent cases in futuro in a broader manner.

LODGE PATIENTS' FEES.

BOARD ACCEPTS TERMS,

[IJY TELEGRAPH, —OWN COIUIESfONDKNT.]

WAIHI, Wednesday,

Acceptance of tho terms of payment offered by friendly societies for tho treatment of their hospital conference members in tho Waihi Hospital was inado at tho meeting of tho Waihi Hospital Board last evening.

In -moving the acceptance Mr. S. H. Brown said tho difference in tho torms offered by tho various lodges was so littlo that tho board would havo to givo up tho idea of making them all fall into lino with its nilo.

It was also decided to accept all urgent hospital conference lodge patients, as was ilono by other boards.