BABY BUSINESS ON BETTER BASIS

Chronicle (Levin), 17 July 1946, Page 8

BABY BUSINESS ON BETTER BASIS

AUCKLAND TO BUDGET ITS ACCOMMODATION , AUCKLAND, July 16. The emergency measures announced in tlie Ilouse of Representativcs by Miss Howard, M.P., to meet the crisi? created in Auckland by the sliortage of maternity beds, are to be introduced shortly by tlie Director of Maternal Welfare, Dr. Doris Gordon. It is proposeil to create ah organisation to bud get accommodation for expectant mothers and to provide temporary "mothercraft" wards and homes to ' t ake patients for convaleseence after discliarge from 'maternity hospitals. Dr. Gordon said today that the emergency was a "happy one but it had arisen-at a time when liospital beds were lacking and when statking was at a crisis. AI aternity services liad sulfered especially ou account of tlie diiliculty of streaiu-lining hours within tlie legislated 4(J hour vveek. The situation wili certainly last for six months and it will be to the advantago of tlie Doniinion if it continues for tliree years, Dr. Gordon continued. "The lieed is _ for an emorgency sclieme and our plan is to establish, a combincd organisation in Auckland and in Wellington lo get prccise inl'or niution about coming birtlis, tlius.avoid ing duplicated hookings for. beds and relieving expectant mothers of any dil'liculty in lindiug accommodation. Tlie system mny be extended later to other centres," she added. Each bureau was to Tio directed by a tactful and senior midwii'e as Liaison Advisiug Bister, and Miss Rose.Pattn'oii, formerly msxtron of Mt. Helens liospital, Wellington, liad been appointed l lo this position at Auckland. She i sliould be capnble of obtnining accuryilo in rormnt ion which would emible the i aut lioril ios to lnidget accoimnodation : four months aliead. Her duties would 1 also include tlie provision of teeturcs

for obstetrical rtursiug aides and the listing- oi' women with obstetrical expcrience who might be called upon for ussislMiice at peak periods. It was hoped that St. .lohu Amlnilance and Itcd Gross would assist by providing aides for obstetrical nursing and that adolesc.ent girls could be used for suc.h spare time dulies as would be eompatible with their generat health. Erom this experience some might lie led to dovote their lives to niateruity nursing. The pnltern of the services rendered at each centre would be loft largely to Ihe judgment of adniinistrat ing- committees wliieh were being i'ormed. Dr. Gordon said the main Auckland problem seemed to be that the obstetrical and gynaecological unit at Cornwall l'ark Ib.'spital was fully funelioniiig, Ihe sliortage of beds would be relieved Imi the stalling problem would remain. Dr. Gordon said her main auxioty was to arrest the tendency for mothers to leave hospital ou the 10th or 12th day because of the demand for beds from waiting expectant mothers. This praelice was building a heritage of ill"lieulth. Maternity benclits provided under tlie 8ocial Security sclieme recognised the need for a i'ull 14 days' rest after chitdbirlh and in a large city like Auckland, there were many infant s who even after 14 days, were not iit to go home. Moreover, mothers were at preston harassed with domestic and sliopping cares. In view of these factors, )v. Gordon said she liad asked the hairman oi' the Auckland Hospital Board, Mr. Allan Moody, to provide an yxjiandable' nucieus of accommodation i'u oue of Ihe ehipty wards at the Cornwall l'ark > Hospital for mothers and their infiuits who, wliile not lit to go home, could be transferred from maternity hospitals in order to "make room for waiting cases. This was an exten--ion of the Karitane Mothercraft Hospital idea and she had suggested to Auckland organisat ions concerned with the problem, timi they should investigate Ihe possibility of accpiiring other liouse jiroperties, one at least on the Xorlli Shore, for temporary conversion to the sanie purpose. Hhe hoped a Blunket. tralned Sister could be supplicd to lake cliarge of each unit. Tlien if thq proposed administrating commitlee could meet stalling needs from volunturv or other workers, she would endeavour to have Boeial Hecurity benelits extended to homes.'