TOTAL NOW 23

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26636, 5 December 1947, Page 4

TOTAL NOW 23

AUCKLAND DISTRICT TWO MORE SUSPECTS p.A. AUCKLAND, Dec. 4. Positive infantile paralysis cases in the Auckland Central Health District increased by three to 23 to-day and the number of suspect cases rose from 15 to 17. The new cases were children aged five, six and eleven years from the metropolitan area. They were previously suspect cases. Sixteen of the positive cases and 10 of the suspects are males. Most of the patients are children aged up to 10 years. A second positive case, a girl aged 16 from the Gordonton district, has been reported in Waikato. The first case was admitted from Te Awamutu on Tuesday. In Taranaki, one suspect case has become positive and there are now three positive and two suspect cases in the province. A suspected case was reported in the Wellington-Wsnganui-Hawke’s Bay Health District. It was an 18-months-old child from Horopito who has been admitted to the Wanganui Hospital. A case reported from Gisborne is officially regarded as a suspect case only. The 40 cases in the Auckland Hospital have aggravated the shortage of nursing staff and the medical superintendent, Dr J. W. Craven, said to-day that the hospital was sadly in need of trained nurses to meet the emergency. A good response had followed an appeal for volunteers but among them there* were few trained nurses.

A suggestion by the Health Department that dental operations on children should be postponed is being followed in Auckland and only urgent extractions are being done. Some dentists have advised adults who have had teeth extracted to stay at home until healing is completed but it was stated that this was not the general procedure. It was a wise precaution in children’s cases but it was not generally considered necessary with adults.