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EPIDEMIC HELPERS' CERTIFICATES

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Tour correspondent, Mr. R. B. lulgour, is surelv unreasonable ill scouting tlie idea of the Health Department's issuing certificates to volunteer helpers anJ nurses who rendered noble service to tlio community during tlio - recent epidomic. Ho coolly suggests that it was their "duty" to render 6tich service. Was it? AVliy should the State call for mid e.ccept the gratuitous servico iof nurses and helpers and at the same time express its willingness to remunerate doctors (who really did far less tliaii the nurses in saving lives) handsomely—to the tune of ,£lO per day in some oisesfor their services?- I know of instances where medical men got from <£30' to A'so in fees out of patients, while the volunteer niirsos, ' who really pulled ■/ tho patients through, got nothing. It would surely bs as rcasoiiabli? for the. Minister of Health to call for gratuitous medical attendance as for_ gratuitous help and nui'-mig during lite epidemic—would it not? , , Here is a typical ease of a volunteei* helper: She (from a household of ten) responded at the outset of the epidemic to a cali for helpers at one of tho hospitals run under the auspices of the Health itepavtment. Was it her duty to do so,, considering tho risk to herself and.,to those in her home, where she slept every night? She worked for a whole monlh in this hospital gratuitously,'and has, sofar., not received any acknowledgment' whatever for services rendered. Is that reasonable? Nay, more, she (like hundreds more in precisely the same position) is asked through the Press to humiliate herself to tlie extent of furnishing evidence of her claim to the honour of a "certificate" (for hijr services) from tho Minister of Health! Gould anything bo nioro grotesque? Surely if such workers aro to bo accorded an acknowledgment for their services, tlio proper thing to do would he (o ask the matrons or staff nurses in charge at the various epidemis hospitals to submit the names of tlio volunteer nurses and helpers who,render, ed such valuable help during the epidemic. It has never been suggested that such nursing as is implied in helping one's immediate neighbours should receive State acknowledgment, much as helpers of that order deserve the gratitude of tho community. I know of instances where casual neighbours rendered nolilc and effective, \wrvicp*, wlicn. close relatives of the patients refused to enter tho houses of such patients! I suppose Jfr. Kilgour would maintain that it was tho duty of such casual neighbours to render such service and to incur tho risks incidental thereto?—l am, etc., . JUSTICE. .

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19190425.2.49

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 180, 25 April 1919, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
432

EPIDEMIC HELPERS' CERTIFICATES Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 180, 25 April 1919, Page 5

EPIDEMIC HELPERS' CERTIFICATES Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 180, 25 April 1919, Page 5

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