| Show No 0 Solution Yet et to Hospital Problem The tentative Salt Lake county budget for 1949 off offers rs no solution to the problem of county comity hospital financing The budget calls for a total expenditure of approximately approximately approximately with a little more than thana a third of it going to the poor and indigent indigent indigent indig indig- ent fund under which the hospital oper oper- ates But the hospital budget is approximately approximately approximately ap ap- ap- ap proximately more than the revenue which will be produced under the mill 2 2 levy which is the limit allowed for poor and indigent fund purposes by state law This current year the hospitals hospital's difficulties difficulties difficulties came to public notice when it was revealed the available money for operating operating operating oper oper- the institution was exhausted by September It needed an additional to finish out the year The money was obtained by increasing the levy for r recreation recreation creation cre- cre from 2 mills in 1947 to mills milIs this year Whether or not such juggling of county funds is legal may be open to question But even if such maneuvering maneuvering maneuvering maneuver maneuver- ing is legal it certainly is questionable practice for officials to levy a tax ostensibly ostensibly ostensibly osten osten- sibly for recreation when they know very well the money will not be spent for that purpose An analysis of hospital operating costs by the Utah Taxpayers association association association tion reveals why the institution is having financial difficulties While the amount of hospital service rendered has declined on the basis of average number of hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital patients per day the cost of hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital care per patient has skyrocketed It is more than six times what it was in 1933 and more than three times what it was in 1940 The total cost per hospital patient per day for the first 10 months of this year was 1305 That is a price for hospital care few patients could afford afford afford af af- ford if they had to pay for the service I yet the taxpayers are handed the bill without the flicker of an eyelash Maybe there is need for such costly charity hospital service in the state of Utah But we doubt seriously that it isa is isa a a. proper Salt Lake county responsibility It is one thing for a county to provide re reasonable care for the indigent sick and quite another for the county to maintain a high standard ela elaborate orate public hos hos- hospital hospital hospital pital which serves the entire state as a charity hospital a contagious disease hospital and a teaching hospital for medical medical medical medi medi- cal students |
