A SCHEME DEFERRED.

Evening Star, Issue 19783, 6 February 1928, Page 6

A SCHEME DEFERRED.

The prospect of a uniform scheme for the control of tuberculosis in this country is to be again deferred. There is at present, and has long been, a medley of controls, differing in the North Island and in the South, and differing in the South Island as between different boards, some of which have their own institutions for consumptives, while the pooling system, with a sanatorium which serves common needs, has been adopted by others. In the North Island the whole burden of the capital cost of such institutions is borne by the Government, forming an injustice to the people of the South, who are made sharers of that burden for institutions from which they receive no benefit, at the same time that they have to support their own. Government sanatoria in the North Island may have beds empty by the score, while boards in the South are faced with a necessity for increasing their accommodation at an expense which they cannot afford, and the more a particular board exerts itself to cope with a chief need of the day the more its district is overrun by invaders from other territory. It was suggested that all this want of system and injustice might be in a fair way to be remedied eleven months ago, when the conference of the New Zealand Hospital Boards Association considered a scheme put before it by Dr Blackmore, of Christchurch. This was to form two amalgamations of boards—one for the North. Island 'and the other for the South—with an executive committee for each which would bo responsible for alt the tubercular institutions in its island. Reciprocal arrangements would be made between the two committees for dealing with patients passing from one island to the other. The Government’s part would bo limited to dealing with patients having bad habits of character, maintaining research, and the, nrovision of subsidies. The plan

was referred to a committee of the association to make further inquiries m regard to it, and it is announced now—though the announcement in different circumstances would strain credulity—that eleven months has not been sufficient for the committee to obtain all the information that is required. It has been agreed that “owing to the financial position making it inopportune to embark upon further expenditure in the near future immediate action is not called for.” So far as any definite action is concerned, the whole matter has apparently been shelved until the next regular conference of the Hospital Boards Association Is held, not next month, but next year, ft would be too much to expect that the North Island boards would be in any hurry to see a change made in tire present system while that suits them so well. Meanwhile the national campaign, proposed by Dr Blackmore, for the prevention of consumption is apparently to be delayed, along with changes of control, and this in despite of the opinion that has been expressed by a member of the Otago Hospital Board that “ they could no more deal with it as individual boards than a farmer could deal with rabbits while las neighbors left them alone.” The Government may claim that it is doing something in accordance with Dr Blaekmorc’s programme for prevention. There has been some increase in the number of open-air schools. But that would probably have come by this lime if the question had never been raised of a national scheme for the control and prevention of consumption. The delay in the inception of that scheme is deplorable, and it should not be acquiesced in by the South Island.