The White Plague

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 October 1916, Page 3

The White Plague

GOVERNMENT PROPOSE TO TAKE OVER OTAKI. Accompanied by Dr Valintine, In-spector-General) Dr Erengley (Assistant Health Officer), Mr Baldwin (chairman of the Wellington Hospital Board:), the Minister for Public Health (the Hon. G. W. Russell) paid a visit of inspection to Otaki Hospital and Sanatorium on Wednesday, for the purpose of ascertaining what increase of accommodation can be provided at the institution for consumption, in view of the large number of men connected with the Expeditionary Forces who are returning to the Dominion affected with tuberculosis. On his return to We 11 ingthe Minister expressed to a Times representative his pleasure at the good work that has already been done in connection with the institution. There are, he added, a number of beds at present unoccupied, chiefly on the women's side, and he found that by a readjustment of the arrangements in connection with the female patients a considerable number of beds can at once be made available for soldiers. It is intended, said Mr Russell, to approach the Hospital Board with 'a view to the Government taking over the institution, including both the hospital and the sanatorium, thus creating a second national institution in ; the North Island for consumptive cases. "While special attention will be given to the needs of returned soldiers, the claims of civilians, however, will not be lost sight of. The locality, stated the Minister, appears to be in erery way adapted to

the creation of a much larger institution than the present one, and the Government's proposals will be at once formulated and submitted to the Hospital Board on the lines suggested. It is I nob anticipated that there will be any difficulty in making the proposed arrangements. The opinion of the Minister i,s that the campaign againist consumption will hare to be madle much b more of a national campaign than hitherto, instead of being left 'as it has been, largely as a matter for hospital hoards to deal with.