CALCUTTA MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS.
General Hospital spends Rs. 47-13-11. The rate at the Medical College Hospi-
tal seems very moderate, considering that a large number of its patients are
Europeans, and its requirements for surgical dressings for operation cases very
great. The high figure at the Dufferin Victoria Hospital is due solely to bad
management. Medicines have been bought locally month by month at a cost of
at least 33 per cent. more than was necessary. The rates at the Presidency
General Hospital appear at first sight to point to extravagance, as compared
with the Medical College Hospital. The Superintendent could not account for
the difference, but was convinced that the medicines had been actually used,
and pointed out that after all the expenditure was less than a rupee a week for
each sick European. It seemed at first impossible to analyse the component
parts of the expenditure on medicines at the Medical College Hospital so as to
show the relative share for Europeans and natives, no separate accounts being
kept. Calculating the matter out, however, on the assumption that European
patients should cost about the same at both hospitals, and that the Campbell,
Police and Mayo Hospitals give about the true rates for natives, I find that at
the rate of Rs. 48 for a European and Rs. 6 for a native, the expenditure on
medicines at the Medical College Hospital would be in round numbers Rs. 12,594.
It was Rs. 12,976, so that the hypothetical explanation is probably correct or
nearly so. I think, however, there is room for economy in the matter of
medicines in both hospitals.
60. Diet. —The cost daily calculated in the old way is given in the
27
Europeans. Natives.
A. P. A. P.
Medical College Hospital ...
7 3¼ 3 2¾
Presidency General Hospital
8 11
...
Campbell Hospital
...
12 10½ 2 7 1/3
Police Hospital
. . .
...
2 7
Mayo Hospital
...
...
3 5
Chandney Hospital
. . .
...
2 6 1/3
Dufferin Victoria Hospital
...
3 2
Howrah Hospital
...
8 5 2 5½
margin. Previous reports have shown
great variations in the cost of diet in
different institutions, and the material
variations in their conditions have been
considered to render comparison impos-
sible. The Presidency General Hospital
treats Europeans only, many of them
Paying patients. The Calcutta and Howrah
Hospitals treat both Europeans and natives, some of both classes paying for their
accommodation. The few Europeans treated at Sealdah are all small-pox cases,
and so on. Paying patients always cost more than non-paying patients, and it is
obvious that an institution with a large number of the former, though economi-
cally managed, might compare disadvantageously with another where this
number was small. The Resolution on last year's report therefore refrained from
comparisons, and it was left to the Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals to see
that due economy was exercised. As, however, the cost of dieting patients of
all classes is governed by regulation, comparison becomes possible if all classes
are reduced to a common denominator. The hospital expenditure Committee of
1878-80 recommended, and Government sanctioned, the maximum rates noted
in the margin. First class European paying
patients may thus cost as much as four,
and second class as much as one and-a-half,
ordinary patients, and by counting them as
4 and 1½ respectively we bring them to a
common basis of comparison. By the
figures given above comparison is impos-
sible, and the Presidency General Hospital,
Campbell and Howrah Hospitals appear to be exceeding the maximum rate allow-
ed by Government. Calculated on the
basis of reducing all patients to the term
of non-paying patients, the cost works out
as in the margin. The Medical College
Hospital is thus seen to be spending 16.66 per cent. less than it is entitled to, the
Presidency General Hospital 10.41 per cent. less, and Howrah 7.29 per cent. less.
The Campbell rate remains the same, as none of the patients paid ; but the
fact that they were all small-pox cases requiring special diet in the way of milk
soups, chicken, &c., accounts for the comparatively heavy cost, and the small-
pox hospital was for this reason specially exempted from the operation of the
Committee's limit, in Bengal Government Resolution dated 24th February 1880.
It is thus evident that the rates do not differ so much as they appeared to do,
Diet
money.
Rs.
Rs. A. P.
E u r o p e a n p a t i e n t s .
Patients at 5 per diem
... 2 0 0
Do. at 2 „
. . . 0 12 0
Non-paying patients
. . . 0 8 0
Native patients
... 0 3 6
A. P.
Medical College Hospital
... 6 8
Presidency General Hospital
... 7 2
Campbell Hospital
... 12 10½
Howrah Hospital
... 7 5
E 2