IN THE HOSPITALS IN EGYPT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2592, 14 October 1915, Page 3

IN THE HOSPITALS IN EGYPT

WELL-CARED-FOR NEW ZEAL ANDERS.

In the course of her visit to England, and more particularly to Egypt, Miss Maclean, matron-in-chief of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service, and Assistant Inspector of Hospitals, saw much that was of great interest in connection with military hospitals, and the report which she will present to the Minister of Defence will embody information that will be "reatly looked forward to. Miss Maclean, it is hardly necessary to state, went to England some months ago in charge of fifty of our New Zealand nurses who hacl been dispatched for active service abroad, and with {hem went to Egypt, where they were distributed in the various military hospitals for wounded and sick soldiers lii the course of an unofficial conversation, Miss Maclean stated that when she left Egypt, at the end of August, the hospitals were well, staffed with doctors, orderlies, and nurses, and the soldiers were receiving every attention. In addition to the nurses who had been sent out from time to time by the Government from this country, there were other New Zealand nurses who had made their way on their own account, and although the last supply of nurses to reach Egypt —those which travelled with the.Maheno—arrived too late to bo in for the actual rush of casualties which camo after .August 8, they were able to relieve the nurses who had borne the stress and strain.of the days that had followed. Tli'e New Zealand wounded are not alone in the New- Zealand hospitals, of which one is in Cairo and one in Port Said, but. are distributed in all the different hospitals, the more badly wounded cases being kept at Alexandria, where they are disembarked, so that they iwill not have to undergo the train journeys to the other places. When a ui'g transport with, say, over a thousand wounded on board, arrives in port, it is quite impossible to make distinctions as to where they will be sent, for time is in such cases most precious. In addition to the hospitals being adequately staffed^at the time of her de-

parture from Egypt, Miss Maclean remarked that thers was a large supply of voluntary help to draw upon, for in addition to the .women who were resident ill Egypt, and who 'had helped in so many ways, there .were women who had como out from Britain in the earlier stages of the Gallipoli campaign to do whatever they could in assisting to look after, the wounded. Although many were not trained at the time, they had great-, ly gained by their experiences. As a matter of fact several of these women had returned, their services no. longer being needed since the later arrival of numbers of trained nurses. Miss Maclean emphasised the fact that in Egypt as in all Oriental countries white women cannot .do the things that they might perhaps do_ in their own lands without terribly injuring the prestige of the white'races. For . instance, a. white woman could not scrub out a ward, do washing, or things of that kind in regard to hospital work in Egypt. It would never do, and besides there was an abundance of native labour to do all that kind of thing. Natives were cheaply, paid, and. a very important consideration, they managed about their own accommodation. Where voluntary help could be obtained if needed, and where native labour was used so largely for the humbler grades of work in the. hospitals •'in, Egypt, there was 110 necessity, 111 Miss Maclean's opinion, to send out voluntary help from this coun- , try. Very good work had been done by a lied Cross hospital in Cairo, It had been started by an Englishwoman, who had -under her ten trained nurses, and they had included in the staff a number of helpers who occupied the place and rank of probationers. One part of their lied Cross work" included sewing for the hospitals, the sewing including the making of garments for the soldiers and bed equipment.; Needless to say such work was of great value.

Tho question of '.accommodation for nurses was quito a serious one. It-was most difficult to obtain, and at first many nurses were placed in hotels, which, was, of course, a fairly expensive proceeding,. but an. altogether unavoidable one. Since then, however, the authorities had been 1 able to secure liousoa for "their accommodation.

The twelve New Zealand nurses who were, included with the Australian unit, and who are stationed in the Australian hospital, are doing very good work, as indeed are all the New Zealand nurses. While in Egypt Miss Maclean saw much of Dr.. Agnes Bennett, of Wellington; and in fact staycJ at the same place with her. Dr. ]3emiett was well, and, needless to say, extremely busy.. Among- tlio_ hospitals which Miss Maclean visited in England was the Royal Herbert Military Hospital at Woolwich, in which Dr. : Barclay, of Waimate, ivas stationed. There were also there upon the nursing staff two New Zealand nurses. In Miss Maclean's opinion the Australasian .troops were .mucli better turned out in the matter of dress than the 'British soldiers, a tiling which might well he, sine© the ovorsea countries have not had to provide for. such large numbers.; .lljp. New Zealand nurses' 'uniform 'was- also the subject of much approval. It was just sufficiently distinct to''differentiate them as being units from another laud.

. Miss Maclean on her return voyage travelled to' Melbourne in aji unofficial capacity as : a . passenger' by tho Euripides,' an Australian _ transport' for wounded soldiers. ■■ t Returning to Australia by the same steamer' was; the. principal matron, of tho Australian General Hospital at Cairo, who, at her own request, had been recalled owing to : the friction that had''arisen with'the management of the hospital (and of-which, she was one of the victims), and which was now the subject of investigation in Australia.