CALCUTTA MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS. ...
23
municipality alone. No expenses should be incurred by Government which
already maintains other large medical institutions in the city: and in a report
called for by the Local Government recently, in regard to the subject of reduc-
tion of Government expenditure which is being considered by the present
Finance Committee, I have recommended that this hospital be made over to
the Calcutta Municipality to be managed and supported entirely by that body.
104. The total expenditure in 1885 was Rs. 74,865, against Rs. 60,724 in
1884. Excluding the amount expended on buildings and repairs, the amount
spent in ordinary requirements of the hospital was Rs. 60,804, against Rs. 59,040
in 1884. The expenditure on all items, excepting miscellaneous charges, shows
increase.
105. The cost of establishment was Rs. 25,236, against Rs. 25,216 in 1884.
The small increase under this head is said to have been due to the entertain-
ment of an extra establishment " for the care of the large increase in the daily
average sick."
106. The cost of bazar and Europe medicines was Rs. 240 and Rs. 2,664,
against Rs. 225 and Rs. 2,183 in 1884, respectively. The increase is attributed
to the higher daily average number of patients in 1885.
107. The expenditure on dieting articles and stimulants amounted to
Rs. 21,765, against Rs. 18,453 in 1884, showing an increase of Rs. 3,312. The
increase was due, it is said, to a larger number of patients having been treated in
1885, as well as to an increase in the price of milk and other articles of diet. The
cost of diet of each patient per diem was 2 annas 3 pie against 2 annas 2 pie
in the previous year.
108. The expenditure on miscellaneous charges was Rs. 10,898, against
Rs. 12,960 in 1884, showing a decrease of Rs. 2,062.
109. The charges on account of buildings were Rs. 14,061, against Rs. 1,684
in 1884. This amount shows an increase of Rs. 12,377 over the figures of the
year 1884. The increase is said to have been due to the construction of a
clothing godown in the dispensary, to building a thatched shed as a temporary
ward to relieve overcrowding in the general ward, and to additions and
alterations in the cooking range of the general and small-pox wards. The
following shows what the Government have spent on this hospital towards
building and repairs in the last nine years :—
Rs.
1877
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . . . . .
1878
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
2,551
1879
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
6,209
1880
. . .
. . .
... . . .
5,858
1881
. . .
. . .
... ...
49,474
1882
. . .
. . .
... ...
20,094
1883
. . .
... ... ...
25,574
1884
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
1,684
1885
. . .
. . .
... ...
14,061
Total
. . . 1,25,505
or an average of about Rs. 15,688 every year since 1878. More building work
here was found necessary, and an estimate of Rs. 1,30,000 for providing addi-
tional accommodation for surgical and obstetric cases was refused by Govern-
ment in 1884. A modified estimate of Rs. 1,09,000 was subsequently submitted,
but this also was rejected on the very just ground that there were " many other
demands of greater urgency on the provincial resources which must be held to
possess a prior claim."
110. Mayo Institutions.—There remained on 1st January 1885 an invested
capital of Rs. 3,47,400 in Government securities, and a cash balance of
Rs. 5,760. No investment was made during the year.
111. The total expenditure was Rs. 58,900, against Rs. 56,745 in 1884.
Deducting the amount spent on buildings, the actual requirements of the hospital
and its associated dispensaries cost Rs. 58,668 against Rs. 54,568 in the previous
year. Government contributed Rs. 37,366, viz. Rs. 7,000 as the cost of
imported medicines and forms, and Rs. 30,366 as special allowances. There is
no record of particular items on which the last grant is expended. Of the total
expenditure Government contributed 63.4 per cent., and the private funds of