NEW ZEALAND NURSES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3567, 29 September 1916, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND NURSES

LOCATION AND DISTRIBUTION

(Per Press Association).

WELLINGTON, Sept. 27. Tlao Minister of Public Hoalth has received from tho Deputy-Director of Medical Services, New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, a memorandum as to tho location of nurses of tho New Zealand Army Nursing Service as at I August 10. The distribution of. nurses i was as under: — N.Z. General Hospital, No. 1, Brockenhurst 5° I N.Z. General Hospital No. 2, Waltoh-on-Thames ... 30 N.Z. No. 1 Stationary Hospital, France ..-■ 27 Aotea Convalescent Home, Heliopolia ■•• 3 Hospital Ship Maheno .... .•- •-• 14 Hospital Ship Marama .- ••• 20 Sick in England " Returned to New Zealand, on duty 28 Returned to, New Zealand, sick ... 14 Awaiting Duty in England ... 8, Total under New Zealand command ... ... ...., ... ... 204 British hospitals in Egypt ... ... 49 British hospital ships ... 52 British hospital trains in Egypt... 2 British hospitals in England ... 5 Total undor British command ... 108 In addition. 11 have died, and the location of 34 is unknown (possibly first charter Maheno a.nd some attached to Australian hospitals), making a grand total of 357. The total number of Now Zoaland nurses now available in England is 8, while the number required is 54. TV staff has not yet been appointed to New Zealand Hospital, No. 3, Codford (350 beds), but the full staff will number 14; also at the New Zealand Convalescent Hospital, Hornchurch (1040 beds) no appointments have yet been made, but the full staff, will be 12. "It is proposed," states tho.memorandum, "to fill existing vacancies from small drafts which arrive with reinforcements from New Zealand, > also to enrol New Zealand mirscs as their contracts with the War Offico expire, whathor in British hospitals or hospi tal ships. . "The position on the arrival ot the Deputy-Director of Medical Services in 'England was that 51 of the New Zealand nurses had arrived by the Mahono under arrangement of tho War Office with headquarters, and five others under the matron in chief. Egypt, had also been sent to England. Of this number, 24 had been posted to Walton Hospital by consent of\ the matron in chief, War Office. She has reluctantly agreed to transfer 27 to duty with the Now Zealand Expeditionary Forces, but owing to the serious shortage, declines to release, five additional ones until the completion of their contracts with tho Imperial Service. To enable tho staffs to bo completed, how,, over, the matron in chief has complied with tho Deputy-Director's request and has ordered 30 New Zealand nurses to be released from British hospitals in Egypt, also hospital ships. With this number available, he will bo able to provido working staffs of qualified nurses for all our hospitals." The Deputy-Director points out that it would not bo necessary to add to the rolls of the New Zealand Army Nursing Services nurses to meet requirements if those employed in British hospitals and hospital ships were available, but the matron in chief! firmly declines to release them until I their contracts with tho War Office I expire.