HOSPITAL LEVIES.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16710, 28 January 1926, Page 6

HOSPITAL LEVIES.

LOCAL BODIES' GRIEVANCES,

REPLY BY CHAIRMAN OF BOARD.

'(Times Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Recently the Wellington Hospital Board has been the subject of muca adverse criticism as a result of its increasing expenditure. To such an extent has this criticism grown that - the matter was openly discussed at the tables of the various local bodies. The Eastbourne Borough Council and local bodies in the Hutt Valley had even gone so far as to discuss a proposal that a hospital should be established in the Valley for the use of certain disgruntled districts. A reply to these remarks was made to-day by the chairman of the Hospital Board, during a review of the past year's work of the board.

"I desire to make a statement regarding utterances. that have been made by local bodies contributing to the cost and upkeep of the Wellington Hospital," said Mr G. M._Luke. "I would like to say that as a. board we court the frankest possible criticism, and are always delighted when the contributing bodies take an interest in our hospital affairs. , It is reasonable that they should "do so, seeing that they have to find the means, together with the contribution of the Government, for the carrying out of this great community work. We are anxious not merely that the local bodies should do this , but that the community as a whole should do so, as I maintain that, it is the highest community service rendered to the people." Community Interest.

He said that it was the intention of V, the Hospitals' 'Association, at its next conference, to be held at Dunedin, to bring this aspect of it before the community. The Association propones to set a day apart once a year all over £; New Zealand as Hospital Day, for the ; purpose of creating community interV; est.. The proposed. Hospital'Day-will have no affinity with former hospital % days, which were merely created for ' the collection of funds. It is not pro- % posed to appeal to the people on that account, but to attempt to ■ create a ;; bond of interest between the community and the authorities that have •-; the great responsibility of carrying on --this work. It would be a sorry day. he said, for any community if it lost its interest and sympathy with the '„; suffering and the needy. Throughout • the world at present there was a de- ; sire to equip public hospitals with all ■■■*' the latest appliances, and in this re' spect the Wellington Hospital compared favourably with those/'in other ': parts, even when the question of population was considered. The Wellington Board was certainly carrying out a number of new works. - he said, but the building being erected were most necessary in the interests :; of the district. A new administration ■;. block had been required before the. war, but had been held over in the j ~f t , hope that building costs would go • down. The same argument related to j ;-. the'new ward block that was already .'," well in hand. . . ~

Patients and Costs. Continuing, Mr Luke said • that'the number of patients under treatment last year was 5810, the average hum-. : her of occupied beds per diem being *'■'" 428. The number of in-patients treat-ed-so far this year was in the vicinity of 470 per day. • The cost of maintaining beds in the various hospitals in the four centres last year was: Auckland £lßl 4s, Wellington £lB2 2s, Christchurch £214 3s. and Dunedin £207 ?s. The administration in the same four centres during ' the same period was: Auckland £6908, Wellington ' £5291, Christchurch ; £6.356, Dunedin '£474,4. The. levies, in ; Wellington had risen from £40,231 in 1922-23 to £51,290 in 1925-26, but j» against this the capital rateable value over the same period had increased by : nearly ten million pounds. Recently the board had purchased radium to the I value of £11,200, and had installed a radiation plant. The. board had also brought up to date its N-ray department, which cost £1152.