PUBLIC HEALTH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 33, 14 December 1943, Page 6

PUBLIC HEALTH

TE WHAITI AREAS

INSPECTOR'S DETAILED REPORT

Lii accordance with his recent, instructions from the Wliakatane County Council Inspector Wallwork has furnished the following report after interviewing Cr Cawtc with regard to public health matters in the Te Whaiti and Urewera districts:— "Sickness: There have been eleven cases of pneumonia, mostly follow- 1 ing colds. This condition is usually caused by lack of care, wet foggy and. changeable weather conditions etc. Housing conditions are not directly responsible. Pneumonia has been prevalent in other districts and in Wliakatane. There have been a number of apr parent dy sen try cases in Te Whaiti. Most have been mild cases, no doctor being called in, nor the district nurse asked to attend. One case was sent to Rotorua Hospital was discharged and later found to be Bacillary- dysentry. The Department of Health ia treating some Natives at clinics. This lias no significance. Housing: Housing conditions at sawmills are directly controlled by the Labour Department. Iln investigating the. complaint that a sink was discharging under a house and found that, the occupier had fitted a sink without permission with the above result. The sink lias now been removed. Food Premises: All food shops at Murupara, Te Whaiti and Ruatahuna, including living quarters, have been inspected. All premises were found to be satisfactory as far as sanitation and living quarters are concerned . Suggestions: Housing—ll beg to suggest that some control of. building in the whole of the County is desirable so that houses of a desirable standard can be insisted on, especially at timber mills where after erection and occupation the control passes to another controlling auth-r ority. In this, connection I beg to recommend that the Building and Plumbing By-Laws be made to apply throughout the whole of the County excepting on land over ten acres in extent used for farming purposes.

The above would in my opinion give, the required control in (1) built-in areas, (2) where subdivisions have been made. (3) where timber mills or other business other than farming were being commenced.

The Council has resolved that consideration of further application of Building, Drainage and Plumbing By-laws he deferred till next meeting.