NURSES’ HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 March 1922, Page 7

NURSES’ HOME.

THE OFFICIAL OPENING.

BY MINISTER FOR HEALTH. fiEVIEW OF HOSPITAL MATTERS. The official opening ceremony in eonnection with the new nurses’ home, erected by the Taranaki Hospital Board, was performed at 11.30 a.m. yesterday by the Hon. C. J. Parr (Minister for Health), who was on a brief visit to New Plymouth. The building, a fine two-storied one, consisting of 53 bedrooms, besides sitting-rooms, diningroom, kitchen, memorial hall, etc., was erected for a contract price of £16,089 by Messrs. Boon Bros., Ltd., to the design of Messrs. Messenger, Griffiths and Taylor, architects. With the exception of a few minor matters, such as arranging the furniture, the home is now ready, and will be occupied in two or three weeks’ time. The cost of furnishing involved a sum of £l7OO. The Ministerial party arrived from the mountain house about 11.15 and immediately adjourned to the hospital, where morning tea .fas served in the children’s ward. Then the party proceeded to the lower portico of the nurses’ home, where a representative attendance of citizens had gathered to witness the opening ceremony performed. Most of the members of the Hospital Board were also present. Messages of apology for absence and congratulations on the occasion of the ceremony were read from Dr. Walker (medical superintendent), Mr. C. D. Sole (chairman of the Stratford Hospital Board) and Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Rogers. The proceedings were opened by the Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson), who' said that through the courtesy of the chairman of the Hospital Board (Mr. Fraser) he had the opportunity of welcoming the Minister, and to express pleasure that notwithstanding many official duties Mr. Parr had found an opportunity td open the home. He regretted that the Minister’s visit in New Plymouth was so brief because there were many matters that came under the review of the department affecting the rapidly growing town, which they felt that a personal inspection would aid to completion and fruition. Therefore they hoped that the visit would be merely the precursor of a longer stay in the near future. COST OF THE HOME. In extending a welcome to the Minister, the chairman of the board (Mr. Fraser) referred to Mr. Parr’s -work in the Health Department. He had introduced new methods and conceptions into the Health Department, and was keeping a watchful eye on the possibility of an outbreak of a plague epidemic. All knew what a plague meant, and Mr. Parr did not believe that they were dispensations of Providence—they came from the people’s own neglect. Mr. Fraser paid a tribute to the hard work which the Minister devoted to his duties, eyen to the risk of a breakdown in health. He was trying to carry the portfolios of Education and Health, which were really too much for one man.

Dealing with the establishment of the nurses’ home. Mr. Fraser said there had been a good deal of remarks to the effect that the building was much too good and too elaborate for the nurses.

“I have heard that said,” the speaker continued, “and it hurts very much because I know the strenuous work the nurses have to do in this hospital. There are the ordinary patients and isolation patients, of which there are a good deal too many in this town, and in many cases the nurses contract the disease themselves. All these girls are selected as probationers. We have got the best girls in the colony. (Applause). Is it right that we should bring them to a place where they would not have a comfortable home? We have given them the best we can afford, and they deserve it. It is also considered that this building is far too expensive, and that it will Ibe a burden on the ratepayers. Such is not the case. We managed to borrow the money when the rate was easy, and it will only cost the ratepayers 2| per cent.” A DUTY TO NURSES.

In statifig that he would follow the example of the previous speakers by being brief,! the Minister said there was also another reason why his remarks should not be long, as he had contracted a heavy bronchial cold in Auckland the previous day. He expressed his great pleasure at being present at the opening of the home. The chairman of the board had referred to the statements that the home had cost too much. “So far as I am concerned as head of the Health Department,” continued Mr. Parr, “I rejoice that the chairman and members of the board have recognised their duty to the nursing staff of this hospital. The success of the hospital generally depends mainly on the nurses, and it is very sound policy, as well as ordinary humanity, that the nurees who do this splendid work should be housed decently. Too long in this community, and’ in the communities of New Zealand generally, have we sweated the nurses. Too long has it ibeen considered that any old dormitory, any old cubby hole was good enough for the nurse to sleep in; too long have their conditions and their hours been onerous to the degree of physical breakdown in many of their cases. Therefore if there should have been any criticism —and I have heard it for the first time to-day—may I take leave as Minister of Health to say that expenditure wisely made in housing suitably the members of the nursing staff is expenditure of the best kind,” (Hear. hear).

Continuing, Mr. Parr referred to the fact that New Plymouth had one of the best nursing staffs in New Zealand, and he paid a tribute to the capabilities of the matron (Miss Campbell) and also to her predecessor (Miss Brown). The probationer nurses in New Plymouth received excellent training, which was established by the fact that this year two o f the nurses from the New Plymouth hospital had headed the list of nurses for the whole of the Dominion in the examination. “New Plymouth should be proud to lick the Dominion—at anyrate in one thing,*’ said Mr. Parr. His point was that if they had good nurses the people did well to give them this hostel to live in. The Minister dwelt on the degree in which the nursing profession had expanded. It was one of the most important callings in the world. Tire different branches were enumerated by the speaker, who said there were hospital nurses, mater--1 nity nurses and school nurses. The department was now establishing dental nurses, thirty being in training and by the end of the year these would be scattered through the Dowaion. Mere

would be trained next year, so that every child going to school would have the right to proper dental attention. MEMORIAL TO NURSES. Mr. Parr mentioned the fact that a memorial to nurses who gave their lives in the epidemic had been erected, and he said he was glad to see that they had not been forgotten. He understood four nurses were victims to the epidemic; they should not forget these women, their splendid lives, and noble deaths in the cause of suffering humanity. Reverting again to the question of the expenditure on the home (of which the Government found one half), Mr. Parr said the outlay was well expended when they thought of the national as well as local importance of the work of the nurses. The Minister concluded by returning thanks for the welcome given him on the occasion of this, his third visit to New Plymouth. An invitation had been pressed on him earnestly to visit the town again, and he thought he would have the pleasure of once more visiting the town. He personally thanked the chairman of the board (Mr. Fraser) for the time and attention that gentleman had given to the work of his office. (Hear, hear). He had set an excellent example to other men of the community who had time on their hands. It would be well if they would enter the work of local Government in connection with hospitals. It was wel] that they had men of the type of the chairman of the Hospital Board. A presentation of a handsome silver key was then made to the Minister by Mrs. Fraser. Concluding, Mr. Parr expressed his pleasure at dedicating to the nurses the •home erected for their comfort, and the hope that if, would be entirely successful in its sphere as the future home “of these dear, good-looking lassies that I see around me.” Before entering the building on a tour of inspection, the Minister called for cheers for the Hospital Board and these vere heartily given.