Maternity Deaths.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1922, Page 4

Maternity Deaths.

reducing the rate. WELLINGTON, March 7. Some months ago attention was called to the relatively high death-rate among mothers in New Zealand. 0»e of the points brought out was that although the death rate among New Zealand women generally is lower than the general female death rate in Australia, the maternity mortality is much (higher than in the Commonwealth. The figures pointed to some remediable cause and it is satisfactory to find that medical men are prepared to heartily co-operate with the Health Department in an effort to reduce mortality rate. Discussing this question with a representative of the “Lyttelton Times’ , the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Health, expressed gratification that at tlie recent conference of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, the members came to similar conclusions on the subject of maternity mortality as had the committee of the Board of Health which [investigated the question “The British Medical Association’’, said the Minister, “make ■tire isamo ,rjeooimnendations for improvement of the midwifery course in New Zealand, and they also recognise the necessity for improved technique amoiiig practitioners, which coincides with the Board of Health proposal that there should be post-graduate or refresher courses in midwifery for nurses, although the Medical Association goes further and suggests that medical men should have refresher courses in the same subject. “I am very pleased with the medical conference recommendations, and T can assure you that the Health Department owes a debt of gratitude to the British Medical Association for the thorough manner in which it has investigated the subject and for the excellent spirit shown. The recommendations regarding the work done nt the St Helen’s hospitals will receive the consideration of the Health Department forthwith. It is suggested by the doctors that where the department as is now the general practice takes steps to investigate the cause of a maternal death, it should ?ek the doc--

tor concerned for a confidential report. This request will receive careful consideration.” “The conference,” added the Minister, “made a very sweeping recommendation in regard to nursing homes and hospitals for maternity cases. They suggest that it seems impossible as a rule, to get satisfactory service at small private hospitals of this class, and they think that there ought to be woll equipped hospitals for maternity cases tit her in connection with the St. Helens hospitals, or maternity wards in tne general hospitals, or large private hospitals subsidised by the State. I think most of the recommendations of the British Modical Association arc on the right lines and they will receive niv attention in an appreciative spirit.”