SYDNEY HOSPITAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20820, 12 March 1931, Page 3

SYDNEY HOSPITAL.

MAY CLOSE 100 BEDS. SHORTAGE OF FUNDS. The president of the Sydney Hospital. Mr. John Travers, M.L.C., dealing at the annual meeting recently with the financial position of the institution, said that it might: be necessary to reduce the number of beds, because it was impossible to meet all the tradesmen's accounts. The past year, said Mr. Travers, had been an extremely anxious time. Mr. Travers said that tradesmen's accounts were still owing, and the board felt it could not go on from month to month passing accounts and knowing very well that the accounts could not be met. The board did~not feel disposed to continue that state of affairs much longer. Referring to the Church and State Hospital Appeal, Mr. Travers expressed the hope that the public would respond. He would not express an opinion on the running of a lottery, but it did seem strange that the hospitals always came last. Every other Government department, so far as one could gather, was being carried on as it was three or four years ago. Hospital funds were shrinking fast, and additional means had to bo devised to raiso money.

" We are carrying on tho work of this hospital under a tremendous handicap," Mr. Travers said. "If we have to shut up some of the wards and restrict the out-patients, may I ask where these patients are to be treated ? It is in times like the present that people are likely to become more sick than normally. I cannot understand that the Government will allow this, tho mother hospital of the Commonwealth, to reduce its numbor of patients. Hospitals like this should be increasing tho number. As sure as night follows day, unless we get more money we shall have to restrict the patients very much. We cannot carry on more than 400 beds if we are getting money for only 300." Disbursements for the year show a general decrease of more than £7OOO. Tho overdraft is £69,000, specially secured by the Government, and, in addition, the actual limit of the curront account overdraft is £26,400.

On December 31 accounts for tradesmen and firms to the extent of £IO,OOO wero unpaid. Total expenditure for the year was £102,500, an excess of £6364 over income. However, the Government made available during the year £18,614 more than tho usual subsidy.