A FINE DISTINCTION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6652, 28 October 1908, Page 7

A FINE DISTINCTION

WHO SAID PAY? TREATMENT OP CHRONIC INVALIDS. An interesting point was raised at yesterday’s meeting of tho Wellington and Wairarapa Charitable Aid board as to what constituted a case for hospital treatment, and what was a case for treatment by a charitable aid institution. Tho question aro.-o in connection with the maintenance charges of a patient sent by the i’cathorston County Council to tho'Wellington Hospital. Featherston contended that the Wellington and Wailarapa Charitable Aid board should bear the expense, while that, body expressed tin* opinion that the Wairarapa Hospital board should pay. A good deal of correspondence has been carried on between these bodies during the last few week*, and the question was final I v referred to Dr Valintine*, Inspector-General of Hospitals, Tor a decision. Dr valintine ieplied that cases like that under notice (locomotor ataxia) should bo dealt with bv tho body administering charitable aid in the districts whore such cases occurred. If the Hoard had delegated its powers to any local authority it was the local authority’s duty to look after such cases., If not, it was the duty of the Board. Mr R. C. Kirk (chairman) said this introduced a new definition as to who was a hospital patient and who was not. Apparently Dr Valintine drew n line between hospital treatment which could do a patient good and hospital treatment where there was no likelihood of a cure. If the decision was to bo looked upon us final, it would reopen the question whether all tho cases being treated in the chronic invalids’ (Victoria) home ought not to bo paid for by the Charitable Aid Board instead of by the Hospital Board. Air D. McLaren remarked that the Board of Hospital Trustees would become a distributing agent for charitable relief if Dr Valinline’s definition was coneot. Air Kirk considered that cases which required nursing and attendance should bo hospital cases, while charitable aid cases should be those that did not require such treatment. He thought tho matter should be left over in order that ho might confer with Dr Valintine and tho chairman of tho Hospital Board and Hospital Trustees, whoso views ho wished to ascertain. This course was agreed to.