CRIPPLED CHILDREN SOCIETY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 119, 5 June 1937, Page 12

CRIPPLED CHILDREN SOCIETY

Annual Meeting of The H.B. Branch . SURVEY ACTIVITIES The annual meeting of the Hawke'Bay branch of fhe New Zealand Crip pled Children Society waa 'held In tffi Napier Borough Couneil Oiambers There was a good attendance of members. . The eleotion of officeri for the ejasuing year reaulted as followa Patron, Mr T. H. Lowry; president,, Mr R. Grant; vice-presidents, Miss hl Williams (Frimley), Messrs L W. N. Maekie, M. S. Spence, A. E. O'Meara and H. L. Harker; coi&mittee, MrB T, H. Lowry, Miss E. M. King, the Rt, Kev. the Bishop of Aotearoa, Messrs W. Anderson, H. $. Grainger, A. Hobson, C. O. Morse, R. G. H. Pilson, G. Maddison, J. Mills, L. Wood, H. R. French, W. A. Greer and J. Wilson; hon. treasurer, Mr W. G. Wood; hon. secretary, Mr R. W, Wallace; hon. auditor, Mr'M. S. Spence; delegates to annual conferenee, Mrs T. H. Lowry and Mr R. W. Wallace. Arising out of a discussion on ihe annual report the following rfemit for consideratioii at the annual conferenee was moved by Mrs T. H» Lowry and passed:— "That it be a recommendation to the New Zealand Crippled Children's Society that it use its influence to.see that parfc, at lpast, of the King George V. Fund is devoted to* the establishment of a permanent health caiUp for crippled children at Rotbrua, this branch being of the opinion that in. the after-care of- infantile paralysis hot-water treat- . ment is essential." A vote of thanks was. passed to Mr F, B. Logan for his services during the past two years, and regret w.as expr'essed' that he - found it necessary to withdraw from the active work of fhe society. The Annu»i Report Th© annual report stated : — "The principal work carried out by the branch during the past year has been the completion of. the survey of the district and the establishment of a proper working basis between the branch and the hospitals in Our disr trict. At our request special medical clinicshave been set up at two of the hospitals where. urgent cases have been submitted for examination and report. In tlie majority of these cases the clinic has recommended that the patidnts be sent to Wellington for furjbher examination and report By speclalists, and arrangements are now being made fnr the cases to be sent to Wellington the hospitals as soon as the Wellii.^ton Hospital is able to. accommodate them. In the event of the specialist's report from Wellington being favourable the patients will be submitted for trefltment. n "During the year a number of urgent cases have been attended to with iatis-. factory results, and during the coming year it is hoped that sucli of the remaining cases -as are susceptible to treatment, will be dealt with. "Special attention is beang paid to the vietims of the present epidemie of infantile paralysis. In this connection the question of iustallation of a swimming pool for underwater treatment for cases of infantile paralysis has been discussed with the medical superjntendent and the managing-secretary of the Napier Hospital, but owing to the absence of any data regarding the size and cost of a suitable. pool, the matter- was deferred imtil such time. fcs more information is available. "It has heen ascertained that, as an outcome of the recent epidemie 18 cases of infantile paralysis have been admitted to the Napier Hospital from th© Hawke's Bay district, and of that number five have been discharged as cured after having received treatment. It is the intention of this society' to file al list of all these cases for the purpose of future observation, and with that end in view, the medical superintendent has been asked- to supply ui with the necessary information. Mark of Appreclation. "Mr R. L. H. Pilson, who retired from the position of secretary at the last annual meeting, was uhanimously elected a life member of ihe society as a mark of appreciation of his valuable services as secretary. A proposition for instituting a special campaign with the object of securing an increased nunmber of annual subscribers to this branch of the Crippled Children Society has not as yet been given effect to by the committee, as so far we have been unable to carry on with the funds at our disposal. Tliis is due in the main to the adotment from the income of the Nuffield Trust Fund. At the same time it would, no doubt, be of great benefit to the society if the active iaterest of the general public were secured. More publicity is desirable, and with that end in view, an effort to inci'ease^lie number of annual subscribers is greatly to be commended. The yearly subscription of 5/- is very modest, and a well orgahised campaign to secure more members would, without doubt, receive the supporb of the public. Hawke's Bay Children "The number of cases of crippled children in the Hawke's Bay district which have been located up t0 the present time is 84: — Napier, 26; Hastings, 24 ; Wairoa, 17 ; Waipawa, 17. Of this number we find that 18 are from the cffects of infantile paralysis, 14 club, eight diseased bones, four spinal defect, f'our loss of limbs or feet, five muscular atrophy, four cleft palate, etc ; 18 cases have undergone treatment aud are now off our hands for the time being; eight cases require no furfher treatment; nine cases are undergoing treatment or operation • three cases are mental; four cases have left the district; two cases have died."