PATETONGA NURSE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5190, 12 October 1927, Page 1

PATETONGA NURSE.

COMPLAINT FROM ASSOCIATION.

ENFORCED ABSENCE EXPLAINED.

It is generally recognised that the work of the district nurse at Patetcnga is anything tut an easy task, especially when she is called to settlers? homes away back from pppula--tion and over tortuous roads. Some idea of the difficulties mot with w«re ventilated at Monday’s meeting of the Thames Hospital Board when the secretary of the Patetonga Medical Association wrote as follows;— “I havQ been instructed by my committee to advise you of the extended absence of the district nurse from Patetonga on two occasions during the last few months. We understand that on both occasions she was called to Waitakaruru, each visit being of about ten days’, duration. Our reason for calling your attention to this is that for the past four months we have] been an isolated community, cut off from Thames except by special launch, which is very difficult to obtain, and we are only able to reach Morrinsville by very bad and dangerous roads such as no sick person should be subjected to.

“With regard to the lasit absence of the,' nurse, three cases of mumps developed, one slight case of blood poisoning, one case taken to Hamilton Hospital for treatment which an efficient nurse could have managed, and one case sent to the Thames Hospital by special Launch. The, latter case was a very serious one. AU these cases were where the services of a nurse were imperative, but no one knew definitely just, where the nurse could be located. Under such circumstances, and .with the knowledge of our peculiar and isolated position, we suggest that the nurse will not be takejn away to any prolonged case during the time the roads are in such a deplorable condition as to render the removal of a patient dangerous, and that only after the authority for her to go has been given by your chairman or secretary.” REPLY OF NURSE. Writing on September 30, Mrs L. McNamara, the Patetonga district nurse, advised the board that she was attending a case) at Waitakaruru, and that she had left advice at the Patetonga post office saying where she had gone.

Writing again on October 3, Mrs McNamara stated: “As I have already advised, I notified the Patetonga post office on leaving to say where I was going, and when I reached my destination at Waitakaruru. From .what I can gather, there were no urgent calls ; the rings were chiefly to know if I was at home to give them advice over the telephone, which seems to be their chief method here, excepting one case which was sent to hospital. The point is : Is Waitakaruru' in my district ? The chairman (Mr W. E. Hale) instructed me to attend any calls from any part of the Hauraki Plains where a nurse’s services were required.”

The chairman said that the case at Waitakaruru was a confinement one, and necessitated a long absence.* several occasions he had received no communication from the nurse, but according to her letter she had left information with the post office. It was contended by Mr Flett that more definite instructions should be left with the secretary of the Patetonga Medical Association. To Mr Walton the chairman said that where urgent cases were concerned it was too much to expect th® nurse to notify the board. Instructions had been followed out, and it had since been ascertained that the Waitakaruru case was an urgent one. On the motion of Mr Walton it was resolved to ask the nurse to notify the board wihen leaving Patetonga if circumstances permitted, but in any case to notify the secretary of the Patetonga Medical Association?