ARE THEY NEEDED?

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 40, 16 August 1919, Page 9

ARE THEY NEEDED?

CHAPLAINS AT TRENTHAM

MINISTER SUPPLIES THE FACTS,

An announcement was made by the Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) yesterday in reply to the statements made by the Rev. J. H. Mackenzie, Moderator of the Wellington Presbytery, at the meeting of the Presbytery this week regarding the refusal of the Defence Department to appoint chaplains as he desired at Trentham Oamp.

"In the newspaper report," said the Minister, "Tho Rev. J. H. Mackenzie was represented as having made some 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 have chaplains '"of every denomination on the spot. Our idea was to demobilise the chaplains, and to leave the care of the men to the resident 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 to provide free railway warrants and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for them. In 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 xinderstand that no definite action lias been taken by the Department, but it is obvious that with a couple of hundred men 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, and' 14 doctors. I have written to Mr. Mackenzie asking him to let me know whether he has been correctly reported in this respect, and if so to supply me with the source of his information. Tho statements as reported are incorrect both with regard to nurses and doctors. ' The hospital is fitted for 277 patients. At present 198 beds ara occupied, and some 70 other cases are 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 even with 200 beds occupied the hospital is -not overstaffed. For a hospital of 200 beds the British Army Council lays' down a staff of seven medical officers as a minpnum. And as regards medical officers, it is imperative to retain them on the strength, as otherwise when the necessity for their services arises with the increased accommodation, and increased number of patients at Trentham, they .will not bo available. If they, were released they would at once return to their civil prac ■ lices. ' The statement that there are 14 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 he merely makes Trentham his headquarters. There is also a medical man temporarily acting as quartermaster, pending an appointment which will shortly take place. Under our scheme for the treatment of disabled men we have to 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 thero aro 24 nurses only on duty. In .addition there are 29 V.A.D.'s. These ladies aro not trained nurses, but give their services for nominal payment, and replace in the wards to a great extent the nursing orderlies."