PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 6 September 1907, Page 2

PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS.

AN INTERESTING DEBATE.

THE CAMBRIDGE SANATORIUM.

MEDICAL CABE 01? THE MAORIS. Per Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. , 'M't-'iiking during consideration of the estimates 011 the Public Health Departnent this afternoon, Mr. Massey said 10 luul heard that the Waikato Sain- i ; ormm was not in a suitable position, mil that It was subjected to westerly jvmd», winch were not conducive to the liealth of patients. Mr. Fowlds replied that as far as the location of the place was concerned, lie thought it was generally approved by ' medical men. J \ Mr. Hornsby asked if provision was made on the Estimates whereby indi- : gent patients could be admitted to the 1 sanatoria of the colony. Married men had been unable to get admittance to sanatoria because they could not pay a fee of two guineas per week. He urged that it would be better to place these people in sanatoria where they could be cured and enabled to perform their duties again. Mr. Fowlds said hospitals were doing a deal in the direction suggested by Mr. Hornsby, but if a patient from, say, Masterton, was sent to a sanatorium then it was expected that the district from which the patient was sent should pay the cost of treatment. He urged that consumptive annexes should "bo constructed in connection with all hospitals in the colony. Mr. Jennings took exception to Mr. Fowlds' suggestion re constructing annexes, as many pf the hospitals were not in a suitable climate for the cure of consumptives. Mr. Hogg said that persons who could pay two guineas per week were able to procure medical attention for themselves, and had no need of a sanatorium. He considered it inhuman to shut tile doors of sanatoria to practically destitute people. He quoted an instance of a man in Wairarapa who had been compelled to give up his dairy business by the health authorities, and yet could not get into the Otaki Sanatorium. Mr. Fowlds said there was certainly «. lot of inhumanity about the case named by Mr. Hogg, but that was on the part of the Wairarapa Hospital Board, who should pay the paltry two guineas per week required by the Otaki Sanatorium. It could not be expected that the Wellington Hospital Board would undertake to accept patients from outside districts without payment. Replying to Mr. Jennings, he said it was no part of the Department's policy to differentiate between patients from country districts.. Mr. Syines said it was as hard to get country patients into Cambridge Sanatorium as to get them into heaven. Mr. Herries asked why it was the Department did nothing for the natives that the native medical officers recommended. The Government as a whole must take the blame for neglecting to attend to or carry out the recommendations made by a medical officer whose duty it was to attend to the native race. In connection with this, he drew attention to the Estimates, which showed that though £2700 was voted last yeai to the administration of the native medical and health service, only £695 had been expended. If they suppi-cssed tohungas they must give more assistance to Dr. Pomare to look after the native's, as well as white people occasionally in the back blocks. Mr. Greenslade said the Waikato Sanitorium was in an almost idea! snot and doing good work. He urged that a larger subsidy should be given to a doctor who looked after natives. What sort of medicine could they expect from a man who only received' a subsidy of £4O a year? 3lr. James Allen said that though natives were now ready to go to the hospitals, there was difficulty in gcttinc th' Mii admitted. Referring to Dr. Po mare's report urging that homes s'liouk be established for aged Maoris, he saic the Minister should make a definitt statement as to whether he agreed wit) his medical officer's report. Mr. Major said if the health of the Maoris was not better looked after tlu race would become extinct. He stated that there was no medical man from Aew Plymouth to Patca who was subsidised to look after the natives. Mr. Ell, referring to the indigent pool i m the larger cities, said there were a • number of lady nurses who went about attending the poor, and he urged that

i these should be subsidised on a pound for pound basis. Mr. Malcolm urged that a system of cottage hospitals Bhould be established to meet the requirements of the country districts. He thought the time had | arrived when medical inspection should Ibe provided free by the Government He had veterinarians going about the country inspecting stock, and lie

thought it medical inspection was free tor human beings many sufferers would be saved years of suffering. Mr Massey considered Sr. Pomare a thoroughly sincere calibre of man, and regretted that no notice was taken of us _ recommendations. He hoped some business-like arrangements would be [made by the Health Department to al- ■ low of young Maori girls being trained as hospital nurses. He had looked through _ the report of the Waikato sanatorium for 1906, and found that the medical officer's report was not in jit. Had the report been favorable, he j felt it would have been included, ani |» it was an unfavorable report then it | was wrong to suppress it, and lie hoped | the Minister would look into it. He j asserted that the medical officer's report of last year on the Waikato Sanatorium was the-reverse of satisfactory.

"I , A - L - D - Eraser said it was im 'I possible for Dr. Pomare and his assist lauts to attend thoroughly to the thou. . sands of Maoris of the two Islands oui years ago h e (Mr Fraser) asked that a medical officer should be sent to a kianga in Hawke's Bay to attend tc a lepugnant disease that' was rift among the men, women and children, ( s , ttere yet ' He that schoolmasters had acted as medical advisers and had been in the habit ot sending to Napier for drugs when | equired, but now a regulation was I made compelling them to send to Auckland for drugs He asked the Minister to alter this at oncb, so that drugs uri gently needed could be obtained quickly. • P r I! ?f% he ridicu M his Idea that the individunlisation of the native ! Mids was a panacea for all the ills of the Maoris. Mr l'owlds said a contract was made some years ago to obtain drugs to be supplied from Auckland, and as this firm represented it had a stock of dru-s on hand required for Maoris, the practice was continued until the stock was exhausted, when it would be discontinued. He did not propose to allow teachers jo procure drugs whenever they desired, as that cost three timps the usual amount, but teachers could make application on the prescribed

10 form. He said he found there had bee is a, report from the medical officer at Wa i{ kato Sanatorium which had not com ir before him. He added that before th n doctor left the institution relations iver ,f somewhat strained, and before he lef the nature of his reports, which hai r been satisfactory, suddenly liecanv [. unsatisfactory, and wore of such a con tradiefcory nature that he understood i s 'was not considered advisable to subini: , them to Parliament. Those reports di< • not, however, como to him. He said h< would look into the question of sub' sidisiug district nursing. ' Referring tc Mr. James Allen's question, he said nc l proposition had been made to him by Dr. Pomarf. on to the Department to "• cstablsh old men's homes. He said he • had given hospital boards to understand [ that so far as Maoris were concerned as patients, they were on the same foot- : mg as Europeans, and if it was satis!j faetonly proved to him that differentiation had taken place ho should take steps to withhold the subsidy until tho board realised its sense of duty. A diiliculty arose in obtaining Maori girls sufficiently advanced and equipped to train as nurses. He added there were five Maori girls being trained. Replying to ■Mr. Greonslade, lie said in future tho sanatorium would be known as "Mraikato," and not the Cambridge Sanatorium. He explained that the amount voted tho Native Health Department was being exceeded, and would necessitate an extra amount being placed 011 the Supplementary Estimates. Mr. T. Mackenzie said it wa-s the usual practice of hospital boards to leave to the matron the task of selecting Maori girls for training as nurses, and he understood it was exceedingly difficult to obtain girls sufficiently educated and who had the necessary manner to fit them for the noaition.