HOSPITAL FINANCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18650, 20 August 1930, Page 6

HOSPITAL FINANCE.

QUESTION OF SUBSIDIES. The finances of the South Canterbury Hospital Board were reviewed at yesterday’s meeting of the Board, by Mr G. Dash, as a result of a question asked by Dr. C. A. Paterson. Mr Dash said that they were at present working on overdraft, as a result of the non-payment of subsidies by the Government. He said that there had been due since May, £ISOO, and the Government was cutting out £4OO which the Board expected to receive by way of subsidy on voluntary contributions. In this and various other ways, the Board was being hampered. The secretary: “We are not going to get subsidies on voluntary contributions, as far as I know. I have put in subsidy claims on £2434, and there is an amount of £750, which leaves a deficit of £684. The Department is possibly going to review this again at the end of September.” Mr Dash said that up to 31st. March they had spent £1792. On top of this there was the £750, and in addition, they had spent £I3OO on capital account. Dr. Paterson: “Can that subsidy on capital account be withheld?” The secretary: “Yes, it is not compulsory, but it is given at the discretion of the Minister for Finance.” The chairman (Mr E. Macdonald): “On. top of that, we are running on an overdraft of £2000.” The secretary: ““The trouble about the overdraft is that if we give to the end of the year, we can only overdraw our account to the extent of the paid subsidies. If we are short by the end of February, we don’t know what we will do.”

The chairman: “That is not the main point.” The secretary: “The Government might shut down on our expenditure.” The chairman: “The financial position is in a measure critical.” This ended the discussion.