HOSPITAL AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20931, 22 July 1931, Page 6

HOSPITAL AFFAIRS.

APPROVAL OF ESTIMATES. AMBULANCE SERVICE PROPOSAL. The Director-General of Health advised the Auckland Hospital Board yesterday that'the board's estimates had been approved by the Minister of Health, Hon. A. J. Stall worthy, who stressed the importance of keeping expenditure within the estimates. The Minister, it was stated, asked that he should be furnished quarterly with a detailed statement of receipts and payments with explanations of any discrepancies. Where approved estimates contained provision for contingencies on capital account, the Minister's consent must, be obtained in respect of any specific item 'exceeding £2O in cost, except in a case of urgency. Plans and estimates of the proposed alterations to the out-patients' department in the Wallace Wards were submitted to the board by the architect. The cost was estimated at £325. The matter was referred to the Building Committee to take the necessary action. A suggestion that it should take over the board's ambulance service was made by the St. John Ambulance Association. It was stated that there was a certain amount of. overlapping and that the present transport services were uneconomic, j The hospital ambulances were understood to bo in need of repair and it was believed that in any case they would not last more than a year. To replace them would involve heavy expense. The association said it would be willing to undertake the full service with a subsidy of £IOOO a year and with the use of the garage at the hospital, where one ambulance would be stationed. The matter was referred to the Finance Committee to report.