Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

REDUCTION OF GOVERN
- WENT SUBSIDY, ,
REQUEST; FROM CRYSTAC
. BROOK.
Tn replying {o 'a depatition- which asked
for a-hospital to tie provided: at. Crystal
Brook,;-the Chief Secretary 6a Saturday
■ gave an' indication of the tendency, 'of the
Government policy in regard/to the sup
port of hospitals.
The Hon. W. Morrow> M.L.C.V' intro
duced the visitors.- •
jfr. A. 15.' ,S.~ Clarke, of Crystal Brook,
raid the. establishment of a hospital at the
• town was a pressing need. The nearest
. hospital, at Port Pirje, 18 miles away, was
- often (full, and. the road eonnecting -the
awor.,towns; was almost impassable. ' -The'
• proposed: 'hospital would serve - Gulnare,
Georgetown, Merriton, Karridy, Collids
■ field,. Bed hill, Mundoora, ;Wandearah, Koo
i. lunge; and Gladstone, in addtioij to Crys
•tal Brook, -7 At present toe medical ineni
at Crystal Brook treated cases from.; the
surrounding , towns, hut in a large number
of -cases the people could nob'afford to. pay
the fee of £4 4/ a week. There was a
"(hospital, gt Japiestown, 40 miles away, and
. ■ the only means of getting there was by
: motor car. This road -was also in a very
fbad condition. -He wished particularly to
1: bring before the Minister the. absohrte ne
cessity fox adequate provision being made
• tor -the- treatment of maternity cases.
Thcrewas at Crystal Brook,'a .private hos
pital, winch had treated last year 165 cases.
-He was:convinced that if there was a .(jo?
, vernment subsidised hospital in the dis
, xricta much larger number would avail
(-. themselves of the opportunity for""treat
ment.;: . He had been" led to jbelieve -that
. the private hospital could be purchased,
.' and with the expenditure tff famv T800-to
i £1,000, it coiild be made - to-sneet all-re
quirements. - >■ .7.".'.;.
Mr, B. M. Dennis (Merriton) said the
, desire for a, pdblic hospital-was unanimous.
It was -estimated that approximately]
I £2,COO could be collected.
Mr.. T- H. Dunsfotd, of Kedhill, said
• Tscdhill -popple requiring medical attention
■ la.I -to'go'"either to BIyth or Jamestown.
"he Hon. W.' G. J., Milks,, M.L.C., sup
pr-rted.theireqoest.'
The-.-Miusstor, in-reply, said; the matter
r>; hospitals was causing ithe Government
.i.ypwve-canqOTn,';and^it'had-TA'aett<b.5iy'i>eati
j c ecided that the amount of subsidy would
■have , to be rodueed to pound for pound,
instead of 30/ for every £1 expended £or
imerly. Owing to the financial stringency
rvith- which the Government were faced,
it was necessary to make reductions in
; expenditure. The hospital at Port Pirie
7: 'discounted,the claim eg the deputation to
ft certain extant. It would be necessary
for the Inspector-General of Hospitals to
- vis t Crystal Brook end furnish a report,
which, would be considered by the Oabi
-j net. Some, yeans ego'it; was eonsdered.a
risk for a person to go into a public hos
pital.; He wBs.sSed to gay' that that im
pression was now done away with, and
rppople went.into;.the various institutions
.with confidence, .knowing they were going
- - to receive skilful and first-class treatment
The demands on toe Government were as
a consequence growing, and difficulty was
1 being experienced in meeting tbein all. A
-few weeks ago a deputation had waited up
on him, with, tha view of erecting a hos
pital ait Port Adela:do, and though the
■ case mas very deserving, the financial -posi
tion, had fogced the Cabinet to refuse the
request, for the time being at least. In
the ease of the present deputation, no de
cision could be arrived at until be had the
1 . advice of the Inspector-General, of Hospi
tals. If possible, " Dr. 'Morris would ac
company him on a visit to Crystal Brook
within the next few days.
$