AN OPTIMISTIC SURVEY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 45, 18 November 1918, Page 6

AN OPTIMISTIC SURVEY

BY MINISTER OF HEALTH

POSITION HOPEFUL—BUT SERIOUS

"Reports which have reached me this afternoon indicate the probability that ' the top of the wave in connection with the epidemic has been reached," stated the Minister of Public Health (the Hon. G. W. Russell) in the course of a statement to a Dominion representative last night. "Inquiries lead me to believe that the majority of the deaths which have occurred, and are now occurring, are the j result of neglect or ignorance on the part of persons affected, and probably also in some cases of a want of medical assistance at the right time. Those who ore living in crowded and insanitary conditions a-ro the first victims of the upi.demic. I am informed that a very large number of the cases are of young iiieti j living in crowded boardinghouses, where the oonditioiis are-not what they should be. Many other cases are those of persons living in tenement houses, where the conditions are such as to call for the immediate' attention of the City Counoil, which is. the local authority under the Public Health Act. A great deal of work in this direction has been dono already, and to-day my attention has been directed by the civic authorities to the desirability of their position being strengthened by the issue of regulations under clauses 29 and 30 of the Public Health Act, which give powers to the local authority to destroy and disinfect things and enforce restrictions in regard to the use of vehicles, and so on; and, if the existing regulations are not sufficiently stringent 1 and drastic to meet the present acute position, they will be enlarged and strengthened for the purpose by Gazette Extraordinary. "The question of the supply of drugs in the Dominion is receiving close attention. The Defence Department is granting valuable assistance at the present juncture by enabling their stores to be drawn upon so far as tho requirements of the camps will admit of this being done. ■ ' "From various parts of the Dominion reports are being received as to the good work being done at the inhalation chnmbers. Equipment for twenty chambers is being manufactured in private workshops in Dunedin. and in addition the Railway Department is also engaged on the work. Instructions have been sent to forward from Dunedin any not immediately required in the south, in order that they may be distributed in infected districts in the North Island.

General Position Hopeful. "The general position may be described as hopeful, although exceedingly serious, and with the work that is being done, I sincerely trust and believe that when the present crop of cases has been dealt with the position will rapidly improve. The sanitary, and other precautions'now being taken will tend to lessen the number of new cases, and as the population becomes wise as to the need for precautions, it may be , hoped that tho severity of the epidemic will gradually abate. The information to hand from Auckland is that there is a perceptible improvement, though the position is still serious. The epidemic is, however, taking a heavy toll from the Native race, and urgent appeals are being received from many districts for assistance for the Maoris, all of whom are being followed up as rapidly as possible with any medical assistance available."

Already the whole of the fifth and fourth year medical students at the Dunedin University v have'been requisitioned, added the Minister. Nine of these are expected to arrive in Wellington to-mor-row morning, and will, on arrival, receive orders a-s to their location, the intention being as far as possible to place them in scattered districts where thereis either a paucity or total absence of men. In addition to this, tho University authorities have now been requested to give the necessary training to the whole of the third year students in order that they may be located in districts where the need exists. A large number of the third year men were sent away' to the front, therefore there 13 not the same number of them avaiinble as of the fourth .and fifth year students, who were retained for medical purposes in the Dominion. Organising the Doctors. "The most acute problem in Wellington at present, and it has already occurred in other parts of the Dominion, is that of the organisation of the medical service," continued Mr. Russell "Early last week a telegram was dispatched to the branches of the British Medical Association in the fom chief centres appealing to them to organise to combat the epidemic and' to join together for the allocution of districts in order ,to secure efficiency and prevent overlapping. A reply was received from Auckland that it was impracticable to adopt in its entirety the course suggested, but that as far as possible it should be given effect to. Christchurch did not reply.. Dunedin replied that a meeting was being held for the purpose of ■establishing an organisation on the lines proposed. In Wellington the president of the B.M.A. and Dr. Giescn interviewed me and stated the difficulties connected with the proposal. They thought that in order to ntininiiee work the institutional system should be adopted, and that as far as pessible the patients should be gathered into suitable buildings in the centre of the sity. This policy was adopted, and has saved /a large amount of time and labour. Much, however, still remains to b<! done, and representations have been made lo me that it is practically, impossible to successfully combat the disease unless the medical service can bo organised. I wi>s (.ngaged to-day conferring with the medical profession, and received such encouraging assurance of support that last night, the Maj'.r and myself issued a joint circular letter to tho medical practitioners of the city inviting .them to meet at the Mayor's room at 12 noon on Monday for tho purpose of organising «■ block system. T am very hopeful that at least a partial solution of the present difiicnltios will then be arrived at. WeiliiiKton City and suburbs, have already been 'blocked out into six districts, and the members of the medical nrofessinn are to he invited to tnta the wholn matter entirely inlo their 'wn hands, create the necessary organisation, allocate districts, and arrange details. In consequence of the congestion of thi> hospitals in the centre of the city. T hnve to-day approved of the establishment of temporary hospital in Brooklyn and Miramnr. The Miramar hospital was a.t once established. Facilitating Burials. "There is only one <rematorium in New Zealand— napoly, t-h? o n «

in Wellington, and instructions have boon sent out lhat all bodies must bo buried within twenty-four hours of death. In order to facilitate (he work of (he clergy and promote hygienic conditions, permission has been given to undertaliirs to remove bodies direct from the hospitals to the cemeteries, the necessary arrangements being nude with the clergy and the relatives before the grave is filled in."