LOCAL BODIES AND THE HOSPITAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14380, 25 November 1908, Page 6

LOCAL BODIES AND THE HOSPITAL.

It .is a. matter for sincere regret that the destinies of a large and important institution,such as the local Hospital, cannot be controlled by those entrusted with the task without periodic resuscitations of tlie ( town versus country bogey; The real progress, and wellbeing of the institution, are certainly riot the more readily ensured on that, account. Thesubjcct has been threshed out on (Several occasions already with!out any satisfactory result, nor Is any satisfactory result to be expected. So long as-the country districts are under the impression, correct or erroneous!, that, they can provide for their own destitute and sick more cheaply than; by contributing to the upkeep of a central institution-in a combined hospital and charitable aid district, so long presumably Will-they, be dissatisfied with the levy made upon : their funds. ,It is natural enough, no doubt, that in: their, own interest,, and holding the views they do 1 , they should endeavour to secure for themselves as strong a representation'as possible on the body coiir trolling the distribution of fundi for hospital and charitable aid purposes in the combined district,' as well, as on the, concerned directly ,witk the management of the Hospital,' I'the cost of the maintenance of which is a veryinfluential factor 'in determining the amount of the annual payment of the various contributing bodies. , To' the fact that the arfnual election of members of the body governing the' Hospital will take place shortly the occtirrence ' ■of,friction on the town'versus country issue among, the Hospital Trustees may'be and some of the observations mad© at their meeting On Wednesday last suggest as .an immediate cause of offence an attempt to influence delegates 'who have a vot«. iii their ejection., - The' present: Board /of Trustees, it may' be supposed;' is. not viewed with favour by all the country contributing bodies because it has shown ' signs of a. disposition to be progressive in improving the efficiency of the institution under its control. And the circumstance that its policy has tended to increase the' amount of ; the annual demand on the rates forthe .upkeW of the; Hospital' lias |had the-eifefct of making some of the .County Councila rebellious at the levy upon them. It is regrettable that the country localbodies should be so easily inflamed in this connection. It i$ idle to suggest that the policy of the Hospital Trustees has,been unnecessarily extravagant, ifor an impartial examination of it negative! that supposition/ The past economical ,\ administration of the institution has\ not been able to prevent the time amying when an increased cost must, be faced to' make the. institution all/it should be, and' if the present Trustees have asked for more money thati their ; predecessors they have had more to do with it, apart from whioli the- growth and increased size of the Hospital have to be taken: into account.; In the average s daily cost per patient andintho percentage of the cost or idmittLstratioa to total expenditure the local Hospital compares, well' with the;.' hospitals in the other centres. Moreover, the country districts are not a whit'less interested in reality than % city itself in having it a thoroughly'well equipped • institution such as the' Trustees' 1 Very properly desire to make .it. A glance at th.e figures giving the J localities front which the patients admitted : . to .'the Hospital last year, camo shows that a very considerable proportion of ■; them did hot belong to Dunedin or its suburbs. But if the emmtry districts believe that they can secure hospital facilities more cheaply by belonging to a hospital district to which there are two or three contributing bodies- rather than to one to' which there are over a score, that is no doubt their own affair. It by no means follows, however,- that a change would be a good bargain.; The bald contention sometimes heard-that the town derives more benefit from the Hospital in proportion to what it contributes' than the country does' -makes no allowance for the fact that the city lias had demands made upon its generosity'for. hospital purposes in the past to which it lias freely responded, and. that the country has received the benefit of that response as well as the town without being called upon to' emulate it. Whjle the country contributing bodies are right to keep a wa.te.hfus eye .on hospital'expenditure we hope their representatives will let this cry of town versus country drop once and for all. The welfare of the Hospital demands that the Trustees should work together harmoniously and should not be condemned to a policy of so cheeseparing an .order that progress would..be impossible. The interests ,af the ; town and the country in'so important, an institution are really identical, and we hope that this fact will continue Jo be realised. It constitutes the very valid reason why the Hospital Saturday Association is arranging this year to give residents of topiitry districts an opportunity of contributing tq the collection to be taken up on the 28th in.st. on behalf of the Hospital, and wo trust that the response from the. outlying areas op that occasion will abundantly negative any idea that a too.'paroehial point of view on this subject* is at all widespread. , .