Shannon Presses Claim For Maternity Home

Chronicle (Levin), 30 November 1949, Page 3

Shannon Presses Claim For Maternity Home

Pressing Shannon 's claims for the establiskment of a maternity home in ' that town, members of the Shannon Borough Couneil approached the Palmerston North Hospital Board yester-. day and pnt it's case before it. Shannon did not want an elaborate home, said the Mayor of Shannon (Mr D. Fitzgerald), bnt eonsidered that in view of the population of the town and surrounding district it was entitled to something that e.ould.' eater for its needs. At the presefti tiine the mothers had to go to other towns for treatment at considerable inconv.enience. He -suggfegfed thfit tfiAij^seht Sh^fiiio^*' mifi1trict nurse's eottage could be enlarged to meet the requirements. "If we.do nOit get a maternity -home in Shannon -we will not be abfOs jto retain a doctOr there,'? he said/ rblating that he had been :told=by one doctor that a medieal man would, not Btop ; ; in Shannon if :thnre were 'no- • m'aterfiity work. ,- : / The establishment of a ; inaternity home in Shannon would bn, . something of major importance to the district, said Mr V. J,. Bateman. At the present time people requiring treatment had to go to Palmerston North, Foxton, Levin or Otaki and these diffieulties were accentuated when they did not possess their own cars. To visit a Palmerston North doctor entailed being away from Shannon for at least four hours and five hours if the patient" wished to visit a doctor- in Levin. There were 36 _ farms being opened up for rehabilitation men and these would mean a considerable addition to an already large • population, he said. The other member of the deputation from the Shannon Borough Couneil was Mr E. Collins. Following the deputation 's withdraw-. al the Hospital Board resolved to refer the matter to the Health Department with the recommendation that they* have an offieer inspect the position.