Plunket Work in the Punjab

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 33, 9 February 1937, Page 10

Plunket Work in the Punjab

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES How the aims and objects of the New Zealand l’lunket Society were put into practice in a district in the Punjab, India, was explained by Miss E. Kramer, who is the pioneer of the movement in that country. Miss Kramer is a Dative of Holland, states an exchange. Interested in missionary work, Miss Kramer went to India just before the outbreak of tho Great War in 1914, for the purpose of learning the language. The advent of the war necessitated a change in her plans, and for several years she diverted her attention to hospital work. After the armistice she went to London, and during her stay took a course of Plunket training, or, as it is known abroad, “Truby King Mothercraft. ’ ’ When this was completed she returned to India, being domiciled for 10 years in Ludhiana, a town of CO,OOO inhabitants in the Punjab. Four years ago Miss Kramer moved to Mussooric, in the United Provinces district, and with Dr B. J. Allan, au American, started a sanatorium. Miss Kramer and Dr. Allen are now on furlough, and for the past three weeks have been the guests of Mrs L. Honeyfield at Patea. > Refresher Courses Before leaving New Zealand Miss Kramer will go to Dunedin, where she will take a refresher course in l’lunket work, and Dr Allen will visit one of her old nurses in Christchurch. From New Zealand the two visitors will go to New York for a post-gradu-ate course. Discussing her work, Miss Kramer traced the history of the, Plunket Society in Ludhiana from tho first year (about 15 years ago), when only 10 maternity cases were dealt with, until four years ago, when over GOO cases were attended. There were many serious obstacles to overcome, paramount among these being the question oif caste, while another problem facing the pioneers of the movement was that of insanitary houses and tho attitude of the native towards childbirth. It was absolutely necessary to break down the whole system of caste, and while caste was not recognised by Miss Kramer in her work, she quickly learned that to mention that she had attended a woman of lower caste than tho one she subsequently attended was a fatal error. The work was being financed by the British and Indian Governments, while there were auxiliary committees working in America and Canada. Gratitude of Native. Women With the barrier partly broken down, Miss Kramer set about the establishment of ante-natal clinics, and these were being largely attended by native women, who followed it up by attending tho “Plunket rooms" after the child was born. One pleasing aspect of the whole work was the gratitude of the natives after the child was born, remarked Miss Kramer. '‘They never forget you," she said, “and after a maternity case is completed the house is 'open’ to you for always. The natives think it. is wonderful that a ‘royal’ whitQ woman should be willing to come and help them at such a time. We arc gradually getting trainees for general nursing from among the native girls, but we still find it difficult to persuade them to tako up the care of infants."