CARE OF WOUNDED AND SICK AT THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2507, 7 July 1915, Page 8

CARE OF WOUNDED AND SICK AT THE FRONT

MINISTER'S STATEMENT. 4, detailed statement was raadeby the Defence Minister (the Hon. J. Allen) in the House yesterday concerning the. treatment of the sick and wounded in Egj;pt and. Malta. Mr. Allen said he wished to make a statement on the subject in order to relieve any possible anxiety that might arise in the minds of the people. He, explained that when the Expeditionary Force'was arranged for it was agreed that tho Imperial authorities were to find all hospitals. New Zealand was to have nothing to do with this work. New Zealand did-agree to'send ambulance corps," and these had- been cent.' When the New Zealand troops went to Egypt ho had official reports about the condition of the hospitals, and he also had private letters.. These' private letters were' rather disturbing to him. He had a. telegram from General Godley on March 3 suggesting that New Zealand might offer to supply the War Office with a stationary hospital. . He telegraphed at once to the Army Council offering to supply a, stationary hospital or clearing hospital. After two telegrams from him and l one from His Excellency tho Governor came a reply cn March 26' from the Army Council accepting tho offer of a 'Stationary hospital. This was submitted to Cabinet on March 27, and on the same day it was approved. Tho 'first and second stationary hospitals had been sent to the front, 90 nurses had been sont, and 80 more were to be sent. He thought honourable members would agree that New Zealand had done all : that she could do to. cope with the difficulties that had arisen. ' In later stages of the, period when the'caijip w-as in Egypt the hospital accommodation was sufficient.' But when the wounded came back from tho Dardanelles there w;as overcrowding in the Egyptian hospitals, probably because sufficient provision could not be made for the accommodation of tho large..number of casualties which were not foreseen. But whatever inconvenience there had been at the beginning was now entirely removed. Money had been sent' for the purchase of comforts for the . wounded, and also they had been supplied with 400 'copies of the illustrated newspapers. So far, as he could learn the hospitals in Egypt and Malta were in a very good state now, hand the wounded were being'well cared ifor.- . : ( , , :5 '.