LEPER COLONY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 36, 24 December 1943, Page 7

LEPER COLONY

SUM OF £6000 VOTED TRUST BOARD A.CTLON" At a meeting of the Lepers' Trust Board held last week a if rant of £o,ooo' was made to the Government controlled Leper Station at Makogai where, there are (>ls patients of whom. 100 are from New Zealand's own dependencies. £3,000 ol this amount is to lie devoted to the. Discharged. Lepers' Rehabilitation Scheme. As no Central Leper Hospitals exist either in the British South Solomons or the New Hebrides, the Board made grants ol' £500 to each of the following religions bodies obing medical, and leper wonk in either of these areas;: Melanesian Mission (Anglican) Presbyterian Mission Alet hodist Miss io i l Seventh Day Advent is I Mission Alarist Mission (Catholic). Last year a grant of £230 to provide Christmas comforts for the lepers under their care was made to the same religious bodies working in the British Solomons.

This year's grants outside, of Makogai are; earmarked to provide and equip dispensaries for the treatment of patients, and no money is to bo used for religious purposes.

The above: Board wlix-li is undenominational is gradually extending its worl; to the South Pacific autl for Uic. first time the 422 patients in. New Cacdonia, who .include GO 'Europeans, wi'l receive '"a goodwill present" from New Zealand at Christmas time. The British Consul has undertaken the distribution of these gifts. The total amount of money so far allocated this year is £10500* whieli constitutes a record the Trust. I)r. T., Fletcher Telford, J.P. S M.1)., Medicai Officer oj. Hcmiu j Christchurchj is chairman of the board.