Further Steps Taken To Fight Outbreak

Chronicle (Levin), 3 December 1947, Page 5

Further Steps Taken To Fight Outbreak

Press A&sociaiim)

. ^ (Per

AUCKLAND, Dec. 3. Four more positive cases of in^ laniiie paraiysis, atl young children, were reported in Auc-Kiand today, Drmging the total positive cases to 251, which inciudes one aduic. There are now six suspected cases of paralysis. The first ease reported in the Hamilton health distriet during the preaent outbreak, oceurred today when. a youth of 17 from Te Awamutu was admitted to the Waikato Hospital. The ease has ueen. diagiiosed as positive. The decision ta extend the prqhibition of children attending picture theatres and all public gatherings, to include ali those under 16, was announced by the Health Departmeat. It was also announced that the question of prohibiting children Under 16 fro.m traveliing from the Central Auckland health distriet, wras under considerat-ion by the department and that decision would be made in the next few days. Precautions at the Auckland Ilospita! Board 's institutions have been an-. • nouneed by tlie superintendent-in-chief,v Mr. H. Feivviyn lvenrick. lie said that in the institutions with children 's wards, it liad been decided that visitors to children would be restricted to parents or legal guardians. No children under 16 would be allowed to visit tlie public liospitals. Iu additioii nose fin,d tliroat operations would be redmred and conlined to cases in which the subtgeons considered early operations essentiiil. ' ' Our staff is liigldy qualified to deal with illnesses including infantile paritlysis — as liighly qual'ilied as any in the ' world," said Mr. lvenrick when asked if Ihe latest metliods of treating; infantiie paralysis in use abroad, were being apphed in Auckland. He added that tliere was notliing new in tke tieatment and the painpnlet being sent out by tlie Health Department was to sumiuarise information already knownand to serve as refresher services. Outstanding physicians, ortliopaedic specialists and experts in physiotherapy were a\ailaule to palienls in tlie hospital. Alr. lvenrick said the public must realise, however, that there was no niagn'iil treatinent. available. Tlie convalescciit serunL used in tlie past had been very disa[q)oinling and its use was no. longer advised. Treatmenl was remedial, tliere being no specific medicine or serum kqowxi as a cure, such as quinine for malaria. Mr. lvenrick said the Health Department had arranged 4:or a panel of coiisull ing physicians comprised of senior physiciaus in the liospitals, to be available so tliat if an outside doctor was in doubt he could eall on oue of them to see a patient. This had been ' done to aid diagnosis and also to avoid flooding- liospitals with mild suspects.