CALCUTTA MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
25
the Campbell Hospital, the cost to Government rose by nearly 6 per cent.
This was chiefly due to a larger expenditure on public works. The decrease
at the Dufferin Hospital is more apparent than real. Government grants
Rs. 1,200 annually on account of European medicines, and little more than
half of this sum was drawn in 1894, and the balance in the beginning of the
current year, so that the accounts of 1895 will show a large increase.
52. In last year’s report an attempt was made to show the incidence of
cost per patient under the different headings of expenditure in the several
hospitals. The matter, as my predecessor pointed out, was beset with many
difficulties, and under the varying circumstances and conditions of each hospital
it was not possible to draw any valid comparison between the cost of one
hospital and that of the others. With reference to Surgeon-Colonel Harvey’s
remarks in the last year’s report, certain instructions were received from Govern-
ment on the subject, and the medical officers were consulted as to what would
give the fairest and truest basis of calculation and how many out-patients
would be equivalent to one in-patient. The Superintendent of the Presidency
General Hospital is of opinion that 10 out may be regarded as equal to 1
in patient. The Superintendent of the Mayo Hospital considers 15 out to be an
equivalent of 1 house patient. The Principal, Medical College, states that the
fairest basis for calculation and comparison would be on those treated indoor
only. The Superintendent, Howrah General Hospital, reports that the total
cost of indoor patients be divided by the number of diets issued, and that 5 out-
patients would be equal to 1 in-patient. The Superintendent of the Campbell
Hospital says it would be impossible to calculate the cost of an out patient,
which would afford the truest basis for comparison. My predecessor was of
opinion that 10 out should be taken as an equivalent of 1 in patient, and the
calculations shown below are made accordingly.
53. Superior Establishment.—The table in the margin shows the cost
under this head, which is
divided by the number of
patients arrived at accord-
ing to the principle of cal-
culation mentioned above.
At the Medical College
Hospital no part of the
pay of the Professors who
have hospital duties as
well is debited against the
hospital. According to the
views of Surgeon-Colonel
Harvey a third of their
pay has been added to
the figures shown in state-
ment V. At the Presidency
General Hospital half of the Superintendent’s pay has been shown as a debit
against the hospital, the other half being charged to his Presidency duties. The
1st and 2nd Resident Surgeons of this institution hold the additional charge of
the Presidency Jail and the Dullunda and Bhawanipur Asylums. The pay of
these officers has been taken at Rs. 650 and Rs. 550, respectively, as the charge
which should fall on the hospital, Rs. 250 of the pay of each being debited
against the outside duties stated above. At the Campbell Hospital half of the
pay of the teachers who have hospital duties also has been added to the figures
shown in the return. By this method the enormous differences noticed last year
have greatly disappeared. The cost per capita at the Presidency General
Hospital was shown to have been Rs. 280-9-8 in 1893 and at the Medical College
Hospital Rs. 39-12-11. The figures for 1894 were Rs. 167-12-10 at the former
and Rs. 155-12-9 at the latter. The Mayo Institutions and the Howrah
Hospital have reversed their positions in the list. The cost per head at the
former was Rs. 21-14-4 in 1893 and at the latter Rs. 32-13-10, and in this
year the figures respectively stand at Rs. 122-9-10 and Rs. 86-11-5. Taking
the Mayo Hospital alone, the rate was Rs. 142-11-5, which is next to that of
the Medical College Hospital. The figures for the Dufferin Hospital are the
INSTITUTIONS.
Number
daily
treated
Pay of
superior
establish-
ment.
Rate per
capita.
Rs.
Rs. A. P.
Medical College Hospital ...
404
62,944
155 12 9
Presidency General Hospital
190*
31,883
167 12 10
Campbell Hospital
...
502*
21,720
43 4 3
Police Hospital
...
88†
6,469
73 8 2
Mayo Institutions
...
197
24,156
122 9 10
Dufferin Victoria Hospital ...
25
4,598
183 14 8
Howrah Hospital
...
67
5,810
86 11 5
* Includes the daily average of patients returned under “no
appreciable diseases.”
† Includes the daily average of Burmah Military Police Force
and malingerers.