BACTERIOLOGICAL TESTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 82, 19 June 1945, Page 5

BACTERIOLOGICAL TESTS

effort to improve service DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S VIEWS The recent suggestion from the Hospital Board that alternative arrangements should be made for the making of bacteriological tests by an officer of the Rangitaiki Dairy Company in order to avoid the long journey to Gisborne, has been frowned on by the Director-General of Health Dr. M. H. Watt. This informatiOK was conveyed in a letter received last week by the board when Dr. Watt stated that if the board found the existing arrangements unsatisfactory 5 it should take the necessary steps for the establishment of a laboraory with perhaps Opotiki taking adyan-» tage of the service. Objection was taken to the suggestion that tests could be carried out on the premises of a dairy factory. The chairman said that even if all the district doctors sent swabs to lie tested in a local laboratory ? and Opotiki was included in the service § there would not be enough work to keep a bacteriologist employed. Mr Caul field said he thought the Director-General was under a misapprehension regarding the place- of testing. Mr Thompson had offered to do the testing at his residence at Lake Rotoma. There was never any suggestion that he should carry them out at the factory. On Mr Mullins motion it was agreed to write away asking if the Department would sanction the service if all tests were made away from the factory premises.