QUALIFIED MIDWIVES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4962, 14 April 1926, Page 3

QUALIFIED MIDWIVES.

THAINING NOT AVAILABLE. . , STATUS OF,THAMES HOSPITAL. r>-> -At the .monthly -meeting of the ■? •. Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid ' ' Monday la&t Mr J. W. Dahby alked if the local .maternity annexe y/ had been ■ reduced in status so that the nurses could not .qualify; . The chairman, (Mr W. E. Hale) said owing to an .amendment to the VWct.-passed last session the nurses .' A could'only obtain, a maternity train'A ihg, but if desirous of; qualifying they h had to i eceive not less than four &: v months’ training at.: a. St. Helen’s of-which there were three in s evthe'rDominion,. before they could ob;1. -tain midwifery certificates; ■. v . SSjM.Replying to Mr-W*. J. Hall the seei > Jetary explained' that a midwife could a.ccept 'a confinement case without a A’.'medical practitioner,' whereas a nurse \without a certificate- could only attend a maternity case under the jurisdiction of a doctor. 3 Mr Danby said- that, as i.t affected status- of the 'institution hetnJSght the board should take a defin- •,' ite tsta.nd in the matter. He contends ; e d it was unreasonable that a board : with the capital expenditure that the ; Thames ■ Board liad should , have its ‘■ status,,’reduced. Further, the fact ' that the local nurses; could not quali- -* fy in midwifery training removed one i of the attractions of the nursing pro- - ' fession. There was -.bound to be dissatisfaction, among the staff;, especial- . ' ly in view'of the small chance —ow- ' ->ing to the number on the waiting list nurse getting into a St. Helen’s teftitution. ■■ \ . Mr J. Rowe agreed, and said that " the Government wss apparently staff-;A-jng its maternity homes to the detriy&ent':of local body institutions. •. Mr C. W. Kennedy’ asked if hospital ’ iwere consulted- before - such '■ ‘dnßtic measures, became legislation, i?' . The secretary replied that such prp-. A.pOsals were usually placed before.-the ■ ■ boards in circular form.. , ' The chairman said that the amehdments were usually prepared on the recommendation of the Director-Gen■-* era.l, who this instance had to be guided by. the inspector of Maternity ‘-■ hospitals/(Dr T.. L. Paget); ■ Mr Kennedy moved that the discus- ■:■ sion be deferred for one month, pend- •■; ing an interview with the Director-. •* General of Health.