HOSPITAL COSTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22031, 2 August 1941, Page 4

HOSPITAL COSTS

Poverty Bay Complaints GISBORNE. August 1. The view that the Cook Hospital Board has so little control left to it in regard to the rising tide of costs, that it might as well hand the conduct of its institutions over to the Government was expressed at a meeting of the Poverty Bay provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union. The question was raised by Mr I. E. Brosnahan. who said that the board had allowed expense to mount to unjustifiable heights. A point that he Lad noted was that administration costs had risen by 280 per cent in 10 years, and administration was one direction in which the board should be able to exercise close control. Mr M. T. B. Hall stated that the Cook County ratepayers’ contributions had risen from £5OOO in 1920 to £9OOO in 1940, and to £12,000 in 1941. The council was unable to do the small riding works with the weight of hospital taxation constantly increasing. It was stated by the president. Mr J. E. Benson, that the matter of hospital expenditure had been discussed at the Dominion conference, and certain representations had been made to the Government.