FIGHTING TUBERCULOSIS.

Shannon News, 29 October 1929, Page 1

FIGHTING TUBERCULOSIS.

GROUP SYSTEM OF CONTROL. CONFERENCE FIXED FOR PALMERSTON NORTH. Control of tuberculosis sanatoria of the North Island is exercising the minds of hospital boards and a conference on this subject is to be held in Palmerston North on December 3rd,

in explaining the position to the Panncrmon North Board on Monday, the chairman . (Mr. J. K. Hornblow) stated Wat three or four years ago, the department suggested that the boards should take over the sanatoria throughout New Zealand. Just about that time the South Island boards decided on a group system to deal with T.B. in •a more comprehensive manner. A great deal .of good work has been done by Dr. Blaekmore at Cashmere Sanatorium (Christchurch). Dr. Blackmore was an exceptional man, who devoted the whole of his time to the work and made Cashmere Sanatorium what it is to-day. Other boards thought it would be in the best interests of those suffering from the scourge to adopt the group system of control and the department thought the institutions could be administered more advantageously by the boards than by the department.. The Waipiata (South Island) scheme was working particularly well under the. direction of a number of boards. Other boards contributed to the cost and the Government provided a large amount by way of subsidy on capital expenditure. It had been found by the group system that the cost per bed had been reduced to as I9W as 7s 6d, as against the 11s which the Palmerston North Board had now to pay. The department now offered to place all its sanatoria under the group system but the Palmerston North Board had approached the idea with caution. It was thought that they should find out whether the department was prepared to hand over the whole of each institution and whether the maintenance was right up-to-date. The group system of control had come before the recent conference of hospital boards and had been adopted practically unanimously. Acting on the conference resolution, the executive decided that the. Palmerston North Board should arrange for another conference of boards "m" the North Island groups and that meeting would take place on December 3rd.

Mr. Hornblow thought it would be in the best interests of the boards concerned, if a visit was made to Pukcora Sanatorium. “We will have to do something of a more comprehensive nature to stamp out this dreadful scourge,” added Mr. Hornblow. "We will also have to look at the matter from tire point of view of maintenance charges. If the group system is adopted there will be a great saving effected from a financial point of view.” ilr. A. E. Mansford asked if the group system meant that local bodies would have more to pay in connection with the upkeep of the sanatoria. The chairman: I think they will have to pay less.

Mr. Mansford: If it means we are going to be saddled with extra expend! ture, I think we should got more help from the Government. I should like to know definitely that it is not going to cost the board more.

The secretary (Mr. A. .T. Phillipps) stated that if the cost of treating patients was lowered, it would" cost the board less.

Mr. F. J. Ryder thought a special meeting should be held to go into the question thoroughly and Mr. > R. L. C. Aitehison supported the suggestion. The chairman thought the move would be a wise one and the motion was carried.