CHILDREN'S FEES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10311, 21 January 1927, Page 3

CHILDREN'S FEES

• AT COOK HOSPITAL MOVE. TO INCREASE DEFEATED I Surprise at the Cable Hospital Board’s recent decision in rescinUiu. a previous resolution ir.cicasing t.i charges for children to 3s per day ana finally reducing it to 2s per day, was expressed by the Director-General of Health (Dr. T. H. A. Valintine) in a letter to the Board yesterday. “No other Hospital Board in the Dominion charges less than half rates for children and in view of the fact that the Board Iqjs power to write off fees for persons unable to pay I ask the Board to reconsider the charges.” The Department 'by way of subsidy paid half the deficit of the hospital and was therefore concerned in the matter, lie-proceeded, and further fees woidd require the Minister’s approval. The Minister concurred that the existing charge was too low and whilst at present the Department would not insist upon the fee being raised to 4s (id, the charge should be gradually raised and iixeu at qjl events at 3s for say 12 months when the matter could then be reviewed. The chairman: I am still of the opinion we should charge only 2s per for- children. Our late medical superintendent was also of the opinion that the charge should bo that amount as an encouragement to parents to bring their children to the hospital for treatment before they become seriously ill. The letter was received. . An unexpected move to increase the charges for children to 3s per day came later in the meeting and wa« only defeated on the casting vote ol the chairman. The proposal emanated from Mr M. T. Trafford, who moved that the charges for children be increased to 3s per day. He did so, be said, for the reason that tiiis was the only hospital in the Dominion charging less than 3s per day. It would be urged by the opponents of the 3s tariff that it would prevent parents from bringing their children for .treatment but he contended that it would not and if people could not nay the fees would he wiped off. In seconding, Mr W. "NY. Shanks concurred with these views saying was a fair and reasonable charge. He contended that there would be I found to he as many bad debts with the 3s per day charge as with the 2s per day fee. Air Kenway stated that be was at first opposed to increasing the charge but be had changed his news and would vote to increase me charges. .. „ “I am going to oppose the motion said Mr I). \V. Colo nm. • -.Possibly no new argument can le adduce 1 on the proposal but I conrend that the extra Is per day will make a big difference to people 'u enc-ou-•.igmg them to bring their children to the hospital for treatment. N laoty-nme pci cent of the children coming 1 - 1 " u. the hospital are nom the wuikir.g people's homes and as £1 Is a week r: a hi" sum out ot a man's wag-s f think that 14s weekly is quite sufficient. Dr. Kiss lmd t-trm-i----tho right note when lie bad aecl-ucd tii.it the fees should be mile is ns possible to induce the parents m '.o send their children at once to the hospital even tor tna unwl vial complaint. Apparently the DeI pavement di.l not like the childicu comin (ir iiito the institutions. 1 Mrs” Scott considered it unfair to increase the charge to 3s appealing j to members to consider how could a man on a small wage with four children to keep provide £1 Is a week for a child in hospital and give bis family the proper attention. | Mr DeCosta: “I have always been iin favor of the 2s per day fee. It ' means that the Director-General ot Health is dictating to the Board j what the charge should be and 1 think that is quite a wrong attitude for an official of his position to adopt. I It would bo an inducement to parents 1 to bring their children to the liosf vital and receive proper treatment ' if the fee was 2s per day whereas u l the charge was increased the children ' would be kept at home and would ; not receive proper attention It was stated that some hospitals in the Dominion although the De- ' nartment omitted to mention it. charged nothing for the treatment ot children. , , . I After Mr McCliskie had spoken m i favor of the 2s a day charge, the motion was put to the meeting and lost on the casting vote of the chairman.