AMBULANCE WORK

Hokitika Guardian, 16 December 1920, Page 4

AMBULANCE WORK

AVEST COAST ASSOCIATION. A meeting was held in the Greyinouth Borough Council Chambers on Tuesday night for the purpose of setting on a proper footing the AYest Coast Industrial Ambulance Association. Mr Janies O’Brien presided over a small attendance. The’following proposed aims and contributions of the Association were then presented to the meeting. Tlie chief aims were: —(lj To have some person whom they had taught, ready at hand to render help in cases of accident arid: do wlifit occasion demanded until medical assistance could be secured. (2) To impart knowledge of the principles of first aid to the injured so that the members of the Association would be of real service to sufferers in the town and country centres of the 44’cst Coast. The Association wished it to be clearly understood that its object was not to rival hut to aid the medical mail. (3) To .have persons with a knowledge of first-aid in all mill and bnsli workings, mines, waterfronts and railways of the AVest Coast. (4) To impart first-aid knowledge for practical application without any great attempt to teach anatomy, physiology, etc. The Association did not seek, like some ambulance organisations, to transform the layman into a surgeon.

The main points in the constitution were as follows:—(1) The organisation to be strictly non-partisan, and to consist of all persons who wished to advance the ideals of the Association. (2) Instruction to he imparted hy doctors, if possible, or by an accredited jay-instructor. (3) Town classes to consist of at least 12 'persons, the classes to meet once a week, and. the course of instruction to last ten weeks. (4) Instruction to be given at all mill and bush workings in the counties of Grey, Westland and Inangalnia, the method rind subject matter of this instruction to bo approved bv the executive of the Association. (6) ,A'ny former accredited lay-instructor in the mining centres of the West Coast to be recognised should their services he required after all attempts to secure the services of a doctor had failed. (6) Certificates to be granted to persons qualifying for the position of instructor at an .examination conducted by a doctor. (7) Affiliation to 'be granted to companies, industrial unions arid local .bodies on payriient of the following fees: —Companies £3 3s; industrial unions £3 3s; local bodies, with a membership of less than 2d, £1 10s; local bodies, with a membership of 20 and under, £1 Is. (8) the half-yearly fee for persons receiving instruction to be 5s or any fraction thereof. (9) An Ambulance Day to be lield yearly, one-third of the receipts from which to go to the general fund and two-thirds towards helping injured persons generally. (10) Co-operation with the Health Department with a view to securing literature from that Department dealing with tiie conservation of health. (11) At all times to help in the prevention of the spread of disease.

The Chairman explained that tho Association did not wish to quarrel with the St John organisation, but they could not allow the country people to he deprived of tlie benefits* of ambulance instruction.

The meeting decided that the West Coast Industrial Ambulance Association should he duly formed, and that the above constitution should lie adopted. In view of the small attendance the election of officers was lield over, and' the meeting adjourned until a date to he fixed by the Chairman and Mr West about a month hence. Mr West was empowered to continue the work of organising arid instructing in the meantime.