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of those in Government hospitals (see appendix 2). These
differences might impede the smooth working of an integrated
scheme. For instance the scheme would envisage the movement
of a patient for convalescence in a district hospital after
completion of acute treatment in a regional hospital.
However a patient in a regional hospital such as the
Queen Elizabeth, where he is charged $2 a day, would
presumably be reluctant to accept transfer to a district
hospital if the fee were higher.
6.11
The Government considers that ideally Government
and Government-assisted hospitals should provide medical
treatment free to third-class patients, but that all should
be charged a uniform fee for subsistence based on that charged
by Government hospitals but with a remission scheme in case
of need. While this is the goal which the Government considers
desirable, and which logic dictates, it is appreciated that
assisted hospitals have their own traditions and that the
goal may not be easy to achieve in the short term. The
Government has no wish to disturb the charitable instincts
on which these hospitals were founded, and it would be
unfortunate if the contributions received by these hospitals
towards their expenses were to be lost to the community.
Accordingly the Government proposes that the position of
each hospital or group of hospitals should first be examined
and the most appropriate arrangement reached by mutual
agreement.
6.12
If charges were standardised in the way proposed
it would mean that the fee income of some Government-assisted
hospitals would be reduced. This issue would arise immediately
CONFIDENTIAL
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