HOSPITAL TREATMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22210, 10 September 1935, Page 11

HOSPITAL TREATMENT

PERSONS FROM OTHER AREAS THE LIABILITY FOR FEES [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT! THAMES, Monday When the question of a patient belonging to the Thames district being admitted to another hospital and the payment of fees came up for discussion at to-day's meeting of the Thames Hospital Board, Mr. C. W. Kennedy said it was absurd that persons in the backblocks of any hospital district should be compelled to come many miles to the district hospital when there was an institution belonging to another district close at hand. Mr. Kennedy instanced people living at Whangamata, which was miles closer to Waihi than Thames. He considered that if a person paid his rates he should bo entitled to go to the nearest hospital for treatment, regardless of district boundaries.

The action of other hospitals in accepting patients with no means and then charging full rates to the boards from whose districts the patients came was criticised by Mr. Kennedy, who stated that there was much feeling in the Waihi district regarding access to hospitals, and there was shortly to be an indignation meeting to discuss the matter.

Mr. Kennedy also objected to the board asking patients for guarantees for fees for treatment. Mr. P. Brenan, tho chairman, said the board was only administering the law, and such procedure had to bo carried out. The board had to foot the bill for Thames patients being healed at other institutions.

A circular was received from the Director-General of Health concerning the policy to be pursued by hospital boards in dealing with applications for relief from men who have refused or are dismissed from relief works. The Unemployment Board had advised that it had no power to grant assistance to such men, and it was, therefore, necessary for hospital boards to consider applications, which should be dealt with carefully upon their merits. The secretary stated that the board's policy in the past had been very carefully carried out and each case carefully scrutinised.