NURSES IN EGYPT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2613, 9 November 1915, Page 2

NURSES IN EGYPT

IN ARMY HOSPITALS NO USE FOR UNTRAINED WOMEN REPORT OF MISS. MACLEAN A report on tho New Zealand hospitals in Egypt by Miss H. Maclean Matron-in-Chief of tho New Zealand Army Nursing Service, was made available for publication- by the Minister of 1 üblic Health yesterday. The report contains much interesting information collected by Miss Maclean when she visited Egypt with the first contingent of New Zealand nurses. Miss Maclean states that slio proceeded to Cairo with the 26 nurses who wore detailed there, and found tiiat i.lie New Zealand Hospital was situated between Cairo and Heliopolis, at Abassieh.. _ The staff was short-handed, and tin; New Zealand nurses wcro eagerly looked for. Seventeen sisteis, with Miss Nurse at matron, were detailed there. On her last visit- tho number of beds had been increased to 700 by th-a i.rection of hospital tents, and it was proposed to still further increase them to 1000. In the isolation hospital there were 60 patients—enteric at various stages and dysentery. There were also isolated under canvas two suspected cases of smallpox. Tho cooking was under the quartermaster, and was done by regimental cooks, while Arabs weie also employed in that work, and humdry, and hospital clean,',i work The accommodation 'or nu;\;cs not beina; nearly sufficient, some >1 the staff.had to be lodged at tho llo. : nj»lis Hotel. Later, they were transferred info a house nearby. Camp Hospital Difficulties. Oil the arrival of .the 2nd Stationai'v Hospital the personnel of that hospital relieved the hrst n.edical staff with the exception of Major Byan, i\'ho remained in accordance with the agreement with the Egyptian Government. M.a;or Acland, who belonged to the Ist St;v tionary Hospital, also remained at this hospital owing to the death of Major Savage. The nursing staff was increased by fifteen of the third contingent of nurses who arrived in tlio hospital ship Malieno. 'J he personnel of the No. 1 Stationary Hospital rook up its headquarters in the Hinencan Iv'-is-sion School at Port .said. The holding is situated -in the seafhore, and has wards for thirty-six hospital hods on tho ground and first llocrs. These wards have a fine view of the sc-a Thero is also a balcony <in each sic'e. The remainder of the 'hospital, which at tho time of -Mis-s Maclean's last | visit comprised 600 beds, and could expand to more if necessary, was under canvas. There is littlo-convenience fcr sterilising, and primus stoves ar<; used. This.led to a very regrettable accident, in which a Canadian ;;ii!'se, who was o:ie of twelve lent pending the arrival of the third contingent'of nurses, was badly burnt. A large convoy of sick and _ wounded arrived direct from Gallipoli, and the six sisters had a very strenuous time until they were relieved by twelve. Canadian sisters, pending tho arrival of he New Zealand nurses. The hospital, being mostly in touts on the desert sand, mado tho work extremely arduous for the sisters. Tho heat was also very great. '-'The two hospitals," adds Miss Maclean, "arc the only ones designed for New Zealand troops and staffed by .New Zealand medical and nursing service'. They are not exclusively reserved for New Zealand troops, and many of tile New Zealand sick and wounded are treated in tho Australian and Imperial hospitals." Nursing Staffs Now Sufficient. Miss Maclean goes on to report on her visit to various hospitals in which New Zealanders are nursed, and -New Zealand nurses are on the nursing staffs. Concluding her report, she makes various suggestions and recommendations. She says: "With regard to the advisability of further contingents of New Zealand nurses being sent to Egypt, I think the report of present conditions in our own and other hospitals goes to (show that at the present time it is not necessary for sucli a step to bo taken. It must be remembered that tho last great rush of wounded after the big August engagements, was coped with without any serious breakdown, by the staffs which have since been largely supplemented by English, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand liursos. It is extremely unlikely that a larger number of casualties than had thin to be prepared for will occur .-it any ono time, and I would rather advise that further contingents, if sent, should bo to relieve those already there, if,- and when they showsigns of undue strain, than to add to the actual number. "Owing to the fact that the hospitals, before any expected rush of patients, are as far as possible emptied and convalescent patients drafted away, the nurses are. often able to have "a slack period, during which they can havo a good deal of rest before being called upon, for a few days, just at the first rush, to do long hours of duty. Nurses themselves are not complaining of the work, and I do not think patients are in any way neglected. No Untrained Women Should Co. "With regard to the sending of untrainedwomen to assist in the nursing, in the hospitals in Egypt, I consider this would bo a very unwise step. Under the supervision of tho trained sisters, of whom there are sufficient to do all the nursing requiring spceial skill, the orderlies, especially of the class sent from Now Zealand, are well able to do the minor nursing, and are every day improving thoir Knowledge. Tlio many men who volunteer for this work, and who can afterwards go to the firing line with the troops, would be deprived of this so necessary experience. To do any other kind of work — 6iicli as cooking, scrubbing, and cleaning—quite apart from climatic conditions and from the difficulties and expense, of suitable accommodation, would not be advisable for British women, and, I think, lower tho prestige of the race in tho eyes of tho native population. "With regard to sending nurses on transports, I have always advised, and from what I have learned, I still consider that no transport should go without nurses. It may bo that no illness may occur, but, on the other hand, the risk of serious sickness is always present. As these transports will probably always return with invalided, the nurse's cr.nld also return or relieve others ill Egypt- for this duty. With thoso now being sent-, we should shortly have a sufficient, staff on transports for this duty without adding i.o their number.