The good old days of medical costs

GRANTS - As Cibola General Hospital celebrates its 50th Anniversary, politicians in Washington argue over health care reform and many Americans face financial ruin when experiencing a serious medical problem, it is interesting to look back at the charges the hospital billed for various medical procedures when it opened in 1959.

Even considering inflation, the numbers are startling.

In 1959 a blood count and urinalysis cost $6, the first pint of a blood transfusion was $12.

The use of a minor surgery room was $15 per use and a major surgery room was $25 per hour, while a delivery room was billed at $18 per use and use of the nursery was $3 per day.

An electrocardiograph set the patient back $10, while a semi-private room cost $19 per day and a private room went for $24 per day.

The original hospital was built for $500,000, a pittance in comparison to the current cost of almost $1 million for any school renovation project undertaken in 2009.

The annual payroll for the hospital in 1959 was $200,000 and annual supply expenses were $60,000.