TRENTHAM CHAPLAINS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 275, 16 August 1919, Page 9

TRENTHAM CHAPLAINS

ARE THEY NEEDED? MINISTER ON PRESBYTERY CRITICS A few days ago (heie was published Is The Dominion a report of a discussion in ■ the Wellington Presbytery on Sir James Allen's schemo for the improvo mont of the Territorial training in New Zealand, and incidentally the Department of Defence was criticised for' its attitude in regard to the maintenance of chaplains at the hospital at Trentham. A complaint was made ogainst the proposal to demobilise the chaplains, while a largo staff of-nurses and medical men was retained. A statement was made in reply to these latter statements yesterday by Sir James Allen, Minister of Defence._ "In the' newspaper report," said tho Minister, "the Rev. J. H. Mackenzie was represented as having made 6ome complaints about the treatment of chaplains at Trentham. The position is that we have only a comparatively small number of men in hospital at Trentham now, although tho number may be increased somewhat in future, and it did not seem necessary to liavo chaplains of every denomination on tho spot. Our idea was to demobilise the chaplains, and to leave tho care of the men to the rosident clergy of tho district, and to the demobilised chaplains, who would then be Territorial or Reserve officers. These clergymen would be in a position to visit the camp, and our intention was lo provide free railway warrants and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for them. Irf order that we might have the churches with us we communicated with the churches and with the Salvation Army. Two of the 'bodies agreed, and three did not, asking that war conditions should be continued. I undei'stand that no definite action has been taken by tlie Department, but it is obvious that with a couple of hundred meii in hospital we cannot afford to keep five or six chaplains there on pay all the time. - "Mr. Mackenzie said that we had 200 patients in Trentham, 65 nurses, aud 14 doctors. I have written to Mr. Mackenzie asking him to let me kniw whether he has been correctly reported'in this respect, and if so to supply me with the source, of his inforniaiton. Tho statements as' reported are incorrect both with regard to nurses and doctors. The hospital is fitted for 277 patients. At present 198 beds are occupied, and some 70 other cases aro under order to report for treatment at Trentham, so that all the available beds will be occupied within a few days. By the end of this month there will be 500 beds equipped. It is reported to me that oven with 200 beds occupied the hospital is not overstaffed.-. lor a hospital of 200 beds tho Bitiali Army Council lays down a staff of seven medical officers as a minimum. And as regards medical officers, it is imperative to retain them on tho strength, as otherwise when the necessity for their services arises with the increased accommodation' and' increased number of patients .at Trentham, they will not be available. If they were released they would at once return to their civil practices. Tho statement that there are 11 doctors is incorrect. There are eight doctors there. In addition there is one medical officer who is an eye, ear, and nose specialist, but his services are required at other hospitals 'besides Trentham, and ho merely makes 'Irontharii his headquarters. There is also a medical man temporarily acting as quartermaster, pending an appointmem which will shortly take place. Under our scheme .for tho treatment of disabled men we have 1p provide the best services possible, and specially-trained medical officers are necessary. In an orthopaedic hospital there must be- an orthopaedic surgeon] a psycho-therapist, and a radiologist. "As regards - nurses, the number considered necessary in civil hospitals is one nurse for two and a half beds, certainly never less than one for every three beds. . There are 33 nurses at Trentham, nine of whom are masseuses, so that there are 24 nurses only on duty. In addition thero are 29 V.A.D.'s. These ladies are not trained nurses, but give their services for nominal payment, and replace in the wards to a great extent the. nursing orderlies."