PLUNKET SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24411, 24 September 1940, Page 5

PLUNKET SOCIETY

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the committee of the Dunedin branch of the Plunket Society was held on Friday. Those present were: Mrs Joseph McGeorge (in the chair), Lady Sidey, Mesdames Reid, Cleghorn, Clapperton, Dawson, Bruce, Paris, Mark Hanan, Williams, Gallaway, Mandeno, and Taverner, and Miss Theomin. The August report from the Truby King Harris Hospital was read and received. During the month 44 patients were admitted (15 mothers and 29 babies), 44 patients were discharged (15 mothers and 29 babies), and the greatest number of patients in residence on any one day was 9 mothers and 29 babies. The sources of admission were Temuka, Clyde, Clinton, Timaru, Heriot, Middlemarch, Balclutha, Green Island, Moa Flat, and the city and suburbs. Two premature babies were admitted during the month, and both are thriving. There has been the changing of Plunket trainees, 19 in the outgoing term and 21 in the incoming term. The charge nurse of the Central Plunket Rooms reported that there was an increase in the work of the nurses last month, the number of new cases coming under supervision being slightly more than in July. Lectures and demonstrations had been given by Miss Carter to the Fireside Club of the Caversham Methodist Church The subject taken was "The Plunket Society," and the nurse explained the objects of the society and the work of the nurses. Miss Liddell gave a mothercraft lecture to a class of 40 girls at the Girls' High School, and three classes of V.A.D.'s had been given lectures on infant care, Including demonstrations. Older children's clinics continued to be held, and attendances had been good. The summary of the Dunedin Plunket nurses' reports stated that the figures for last month were as follows:—Babies on the list, 1755; older children on the list, 744; visits paid to homes, 1438; visits paid to offices, 4524 (mothers 2407, babies 1895, older .children 260)"; new cases for month (babies only), 129; babies breast-fed (including partly), new cases. 111. Out-sta-tions visited were: Mosgiel, Abbotsford, Green Island, Burnside'. Concord, Ravensbourne. Burkes, Sawyers' Bay, Port Chalmers, Middlemarch, Outram, Macandrew Bay, Waikouaiti. Dunback, Hampden, Moeraki-Kartigi, Shag Point, Seacliff, Puketeraki, Karitane. Waitati. Warrington, Goodwood, Omimi. and Kilmog. Visits paid to the suburban Plunket rooms by the nurses were: Anderson's Bay 5, Caversham Kindergarten 9. Mornington 12, Roslyn 9, North-East Valley 9. St. Clair 4. and South Dunedin 2—4 p.m. daily, except Saturdays and Sundays. Permission was granted to the Plunket nurse of the Roslyn district for the Roslyn Plunket Rooms to be open an extra afternoon a week in order to serve mothers and babies of the Wakari area. Arrangement." were discussed and completed for the holding of the society's annual Daffodil Da- .street sale and collection on Friday. October 4.