ANTE-NATAL CLINICS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 September 1925, Page 4

ANTE-NATAL CLINICS

I! KAI.T II DKI’A RT.M 1-INT'S ACTIVITY Alt Kl. \ .\D. Sept. L'l. An important .-top in the campaign to reduce maternal mortality in New Zealand will shortly he taken by the Department of Health, which is establishing anta-uatal clinics in the four centre- of the Dominion. In Auckland clinics will be conducted in (ottuactiou with St. Helen's Hospital, St. John Ambulance Asociation, St Mali's Home. (Uahtihu, and the .Salvation Army .Maternity Home. Anaugcmenfs li-ive been nlmo.-t completed and the date of the opening of the clinics will he announced shortly. The clinics, which will he free, will he under medical supervision and staffed by nurses who have had spoeial train ino in ante-natal work. Kadi nurse will act in the capacity of assitsant. to the patient’s medical attendant and under his instructions. She will send duplicates of each patient’s elinical history record to the practitioner it ml will report to him any condition sufficiently important to require medical attention, working always under his directions. All expectant mothers will he outotirnged to at-

tend clinics regularly, and in this wav systematic supervision will he carried out. dtiriu.tr t he entire ante-natal per- j iod. Privacy will be duly considered

as one of the principal factors in encouraging the patient to attend. In order to secure regular attendance and ] rivaey. every patient will he {riven an appointment card, on which is written the day and hour on w Id' ll she is to attend and the purpose of supervision and examination explained. Pamphlets giving advice upon matters of diet, clothing and exercises, and upon questions of special importance to the expectant mother, are issued free of charge by the Health He; artJ incur. t The importance of ante-natal supervision has keen emphasised by the Min-i.-tcr tor Health in connection with the institution of a campaign to reduce the rate of maternal mortality. Tin need for instruction. education and supervision (luring a < riticnl peri has been made sufficiently obvious 1 > the regrettable high rate of maternal mortality recorded in New Zealand in icccnt youl-. and anic-natal work I anow Icon given to ognitiim as a matter ot national importance. It provide- for the expectant mother and for her child a safeguard again-t error- that in the past have cost t) ■ State many a valuable life.