MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
A MINISTERIAL SUGGESTION APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES At the meeting of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday afternoon a memorandum was received from the Minister of Public Health dealing with maternity and child welfare.. In the course of this memorandum it was stated: "The British Bill provides for local authorities establishing maternity'and child welfare committees, to rwhich matters of maternity and child welfare shall be referred, with the exception of the power of raising rates or of borrowing mousy. It will be seen, therefore, that tin nolion proposed in England is along tha lines which hospital boards in i'J'ov. Zealand have at .present power to pursue, and I would be glad if your board would givo this matter full consideration, with a view to setting up a similar committee under Section 64 of the Hospitals Act, 1909, to deal with of maternity and child welfare upon the lines set forth above. The setting up of such a committee 'by your board would ensure thai all matters in connection with maternity and child welfare would lie kept in view. Power-is given in the clause in the Act quoted to include on the committee persons who are not members of the board, which would enable suitable women to be associated .with your board for this important matter. Under the statutory powers the boaird could appoint sub-com-mittees in each'centrb of your district, thus widening the scope- of the proposal so as to cover the entire hospital district. On-my part I will be prepared to assist as far as possible by appointing maternity nurses to work in the various districts. The matters th.it would be dealt with by such a committee aire of the greatest importance at the present time, and I trust, therefore, that your board will give thes» suggestions the most careful consideration." !The chairman (Mr. H. Baldwin) said that in view of. the fact that they already had such institutions as the St. Helens Hospital and the Plunket Society, as well as the activities of the Charitable Aid Board, ho was of the opinion that if such committees, were set up as suggested by the Minister there would be a good deal of overlapping. Mr. F. Castle thought that the Minister was going on right lines. Most of the troubles occurred to children after school age, when they came into contact with other children who perhaps had not been so well looked after. Nothing or little ha.s 'been done for children before school age, a period in life when they should be well looked after. , Mir. van Staveren, whilst sympathising with the Minister, disagreed with Mr. Castle. He said that the Charitable Aid Committee did a very great deal for these children. Mr. Castle: Not medically. Mr. van Staveren: "Yes, medically as well as physically. If we hear of a child who requires attention we send along our doctors, and in other ; cases they call in the Plunket nurses." : He thought they would be duplicating i the work, by setting up committees. It i only meant multiplying such bodies. i ■ Mr. J. A. M'Ewen said that from what J he had heard he could only think that ! thev were merely touching the fringe of "the subject. This was a most im- j portant matter. The health of the com- ' munity was its best asset. The wealth which'everyone struggled after jw-as after all a secondary matter. If they could ensure the health •of the community the j wealth would look after itsolf. Mir. John Smith said it was a matter ' for the State to attend to. The estal>- s lishmentof further bodies as suggested, i the work of which'was already being i fairly well attended to,' would probably < mean a great deal of money, and they ' woirtd have once, more to go to the rate- * payers. The health of child life was the j State's best asset, and the -cost of en- ' suring.it should'come out of the con- ' solidated revenue, to which everyone in the-country'contributed in a greater oi • less degree. (Hear, hear.) J The board decided: "That the Minis- f ter of Public Health be advised that the board had already considered the subject of maternity and child welfare, and it recommends tjiat any scheme in con-nection-therewith should work in cooperation with the. Plunket Society and St. Helens Hospital authorities, and that a deputation from this 'board would bo pleased to interview him on the whole '. matter." '
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 73, 20 December 1918, Page 3
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742MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 73, 20 December 1918, Page 3
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