HOSPITAL MATTERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18446, 6 January 1922, Page 2

HOSPITAL MATTERS

DEPUTATION TO THE HON. DOWNIE STEWART.

THE £14,000 PAYMENT,

The Otago Hospital Board took advantage of the presence in town of the Hon. W. Downie Stewart to wait upon him yesterday morning with the object of impressing upon him a number of matters in relation to hospital and charitable aid affairs, and particularly to protest against the provision in the new Bill by "‘which the Otago Board has to pay to the South Otago Board within three years the sum of £13,958, the amount which the commission , decided upon. The deputation consisted of the chairman of the board (Mr W. E. S. Knight), Messrs A. I'. Quelch, W. T. Talboys, J. W. Dove, D. Larhach, Dr Newlands. and Mrs Maofie. The medical superintendent of the Dunedin Hospital (Dr Falconer), the secretary of the board (Mr J. Jacobs), and the Hon. M. Cohen were also present. Mr Knight, addressing the Minister, referred first to the payment of tho sum of £14,000. He said that the board was very concerned about it. There was no use repenting what had been said in regard to separation, but he felt sure that the Prime Minister, the Minister of Public Health (the Hon. C. J. Parr), and the others who supported them at the time must now regret their action. When Mr Parr was in Dunedin some time ago he asked him if the Government would be prepared to pay half tho £14,000 by way of subsidy. Mr Parr replied that he was not too sure about it. Now he was sure; ho was not prepared to pay anything. It was only right and reasonable, Mr Knight said, that if the £14,000 had to be paid the time should be lengthened. Three years was too short a period over which 1 to find such a large sum of money. Money was short. The Government itself was feeling the financial strain, and it was not all consistent when it insisted upon such a large amount being provided by a local body within the period of three years. The Government had always claimed to be the board’s copartner in tho administration of the hospitals and the expenditure of funds, and. that being the case, the Government should bear its fair share of the burden the ratepayers had now to face. /A subsidy of half tho amount the board was called upon to pay should be given by the Government.

Mr Quelch, chairman of the Finance Committee of the Hospital. Board, said that the commission in assessing the amount the Otago Board had to pay to the South Otago Board had no concern as to the merits of the caije. It was simply a case of arithmetic so far as the commission was concerned. In tho past the board had always been directed by the Minister of Public Health. Government and board were partners in one concern, and they had to take the bad with the good. Mr Quelch impressed the point that the finding of the £14,000 was not a question of handing over assets. It was all very well to say that the subsidy had been paid, tho £14,000 was only an additional burden. The Minister asked whether, assuming that 'the board had power to raise the money by mortgage on ite buildings, the £14,000 would not then include the subsidy, but to this Mr Quelch said no. The ratepayers wore being made to pay. what •the Government should pay. The Minister wanted to dodge his responsibilities and make the ratepayers pay. Mr Quelch reiterated that tho Government should provide half the money. The board bad simply carried put the policy of the department.. The, Minister: In some ' form or other the Government subsidy is merged in your assets. Say you raised a mortgage of £14,000 to pay this debt and had to pay interest; you say that the Government should pay half the interest on the mortgage. , Mr Quelch; Yes, but there is no reason why the board should raise a mortgage on its buildings. The question of a mortgage is an intricate matter. The Government is making us tax collectors. * ./' The Minister said he would go into the •matter of a subsidy. He knew that Mr Sidey had considered it S-nd was satisfied that the contention of the board was sound and that the Government ought to contribute again. Mr Quelch: Not to us, but to South Otago. Dr Newlands mentioned another .phase of the question. He said that had the board known that the Government was going to erect ■ a large central sanatorium it would not have built the Waken Hospital in the. way, it had. A great deal of the money South Otago, contributed was sunk in that hospital. If the board could hand over a portion of the Wakari Hospital as a share-of the assets then it. would not be so badly hit. He thought it very hard that the Otago Board should be saddled with. tho whole cost of the South Otago contribution, plus the subsidy. Tho Minister asked if the handing over of, any, portion to South Otago would reduce running expenses, and Mr Quelch replied that it would not, to any extent. Mr Talboye expressed agreement with Mr Quelch. Be said it was most unfair that one partner should be allowed to go out of a business concern and endanger it. If the payment had to be made then a longer time should be given in- which to meet it.

Dr Falconer pointed out 1 that the Wakari Hospital was built at tho instigation of the department, and the board had/also been compelled to provide additional beds at the Pleasant Valley Sanatorium. Instructions had now been received that no more cases of consumption were-to be sent to either hospital. The' Minister, in his reply, said that tho most he could do was to get the term extended, and perhaps get some form of contribution from the Government. He would not like the members of the board to think, however, that this would be easy. Most of the members of the House, except the Dunedin members, voted for the Separation Biff, in the first instance, and tho present position seemed to be the necessary consequence. All he could do would be to register his protest; he could not influence members seriously. It was a pretty intricate question for the House to argue again. He was quite willing to help them all he could, but he was not very optimistio in regard to the position. Other clauses in tho new Bill were mentioned. Mr Knight referred to the provision. dealing with the patients from outside districts, and remarked that this seemed to have been drafted crudely. The board would have no. power to charge outside boards for patients from the districts of these boards.

Mr Quelch . said that the .Otago Board had no objection to the treatirfg of patients from outside, who had met with accidents or had been taken suddenly ill. There was the danger, however, of too many patients coming to the Dunedin Hospital from outside districts. The proportion at present was one-fifth of the whole.

Mr Knight later referred to tho clause providing that no hospital board could in future make any appointment of medical officers, honorary medical officers, matrons, sisters, managers, or house stewards without first obtaining the consent of the Minister. If seemed that (he hospital system was being nationalised, and tho functions of the boards restricted. The boards were elected by the ratepayers, and were supposed to consist of men end Women capable of managing the institutions. * Other members complained of the restro tions. and Dr Newlands expressed the opinion that if th° Minister had the power of veto it should be enough.

,Mr Knight, also protested the subsidy oltCralions. The Minister promised to go into tho various matters placed before him.