The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1913. HOSPITALS.

Waipa Post, Volume VI, Issue 252, 3 October 1913, Page 2

The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1913. HOSPITALS.

THE increasing cost of hospitals is dealt with by the InspectorGeneral in his annual report, which sets out that the hospital and charitable aid expenditure has increased in ten years from 5s lo%d per head of the population to 9s 6-Md. Against this, however, it appears that the percentage of people using hospitals has considerably increased, for while 18.2 per 1000 of the population availed themselves of hospital treatment in 1903'4> there were 25.8 per 1000 of the population that did so in 1912-13, while the average of occupied beds per day rose from 1.49 to 2.04 of the population. It is further pointed out that the erection of new buildings, increases in the cost of articles of consumption and increases in salaries and wages have further added to the cost. Whether this increasing cost should be checked is largely a matterofquestion. The InspectorGeneral states that he has pointed out to Boards the necessity of raising their charges to persons in good circumstances and to this there can be no objection. It is pointed out that the patients’ payments last year amounted to one-third only of the cost of maintenance and treatment, and that even if fees were paid in full the amount would not cover maintenance. But working out the number of cases it would no doubt be found that the great majority of the patients have strictly limited means and they could not afford to pay the full fees as at present constituted, leave alone increased fees. It seems then that there will always have to be some assistance given, for if full or increased fees were insisted on these persons would not be able to take advantage of treatment. New buildings also seem to be a necessity for accommodation must be provided while increases in the cost of articles of consumption and salaries are matters over which the authorities have little or no control. Thus curtailment of expenditure along these lines appears impossible. But acting on wider grounds the Department would possibly find the way for a considerable reduction to be made. Hospital Boards are elected for their own particular district. Each Board has one central institution or more, and these are fitted up and equipped practically regardless of expense. In this way there is a great deal of overlapping and it is considered by some that there are too many costly institutions to be kept up. Possibly it would be hard to effect a radical change at this late stage, but had the authorities provided fewer of these big hospitals and homes and more institutions on the lines of cottage hospitals, there is little doubt that the expenditure would not have reached its present proportions.