DOCTORS AND NURSES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 295, 22 May 1915, Page 4

DOCTORS AND NURSES.

PROBLEM IN NEW ZEALAND. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. Regarding the statement made to his board by Dr. Barclay, medical superintendent of the Wellington Hospital, about the shortage of doctors and nurses, the Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Minister of 'Public Health, made the following statement this evening: "The 'Government's decision to equip a hospital ship and to send additional medical men and nurses to the seat of war will undoubtedly tax our medical and nursing resources and put a considerable strain on our hospital system. .Nevertheless, I am confident that the Dominion is prepared to make further sacrifices and to put up with many inconveniences in order that her sons, who are so manfully upholding- the honor of the flag, may benefit by the best medical and nursing attendance. I am in communication with the medical, nursin^and,hospital authorities of the Dominion, and I feel sure that their medical officers, matrons and nurses, who for various reasons have not been able to go to the front, will loyally undertake the additional duties and responsibilities to enable as-'many medical men and nurses to go where their services can (be best utilised in this trouble of the Empire. It will doubtless he necessary to relax the regulations regarding the proportion of trained' to untrained nurses in our public and private hospitals. I hope that young women will volunteer for service a« probationers or helps in their local institutions, for the period of the war, if they do not mean to make nursing their profession. The hospital authorities will be advised to take quite young girls for this work, provided they are in good health and of sound constitution. This 'being essentially a time for service and self denial I feel sure that the Dominion will rise to the occasion, and that her daughters as well as 'her sons will readily give their services where they canj lie best utilised for the common weal."