THE WOUNDED IN EGYPT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2523, 31 July 1915, Page 2

THE WOUNDED IN EGYPT

'ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEIR RE. . TURN. • Dr. A l . K. Newman suggested in Par* liaineut last week that the Government should make somo joint arrangement with the Commonwealth Government whereby our sick and wounded soldiers can be speedily brought from base lios--5 , s i° le healthy climate of New Zealand. Replying on Wednesday, the Minister of Defence (tho Hon. J. Allen), said that a considerable number of returning sick have been brought to Australia and_ transhipped hore. The dispatch sick and wounded is under tho direction of the medical services at tho base hospitals, but arrangements were made with the Imperial authorities to send back to New Zealand the sick and wounded who would not bo available again for the firing-line.. Dr. Nowmau said that if tho Government protested against any more wounded being sent to Egypt they .would bo doing a very good thing for the wounded. Tho country should protest," and not cease protesting, till all tlio wounded wero removed from the Dardanelles i to a cooler climate.

The Hon. j. Allen said that'the ' arrangements first made were that tho Wounded were to be taken to Malta and Egypt. Thoso who were" to be of lisa again in tho firing line were then to bo taken to England, via Egypt and Malta, ■ for treatment till tbey could be sent back. With regard to those wounded and sick who were not likely to be of use again in the firing line, they were to be s brought back to New Zealand. In the early stages of the war in the Dardandles the wounded were removed to , Malta and Egypt in very large numbers,,, and ho feared that the arrangements - broke down to a considerable extent.Now things had settled down, and hei Understood that thero would not be the same difficulty. At first the Imperial authorities wore very much against sending any siok or wounded through thoJßed Sea in the monsoon season, but they tried it with the Willochra, and the captain was instructed to go at full speed there. As far as ho knew, tho transports would bo able to bring back the wounded and sick as soon as they, wero fit to come. He was not able toi disclose the movements of the Hospital Ship Mahcno, but he could say that it probably would not be long before sho was back in Now Zealand with somo of our wounded men. He did not'think it was necessary to make any arrangement with Australia, because th'ey liadi' sufficient accommodation in tho transports and tlic Maheno. .

With regard to the.hospitals ill Egypt, he said that the Abbassai Hospital, in Cairo, the finest in ' Egypt, had been placed at their disposal, and they wero paying for tho soldiers there. Dr. Newman: But the climate is so' bad. Mr. Allen: I am aware of that, but we are not in a position to say that the wounded must be sent back. The convalescent hospital at Alexandria, con- ' ducted by/Lady G.odley .arid" her-assist-', ants, was near the sea shore, and got the benefit of the sea breezes. Really good work was being done there. '' IJe-v tails had arrived of the hospitals and as far as ho''could see New Zealand, had very few men in/the smaller hospitals. He had made every effort to secure good treatment for our WQunded soldiers, and, apart from the climate, tho arrangements in Malta and Egypt were extremely good.