TUBERCULOSIS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 March 1943, Page 4

TUBERCULOSIS

PREVALENCE AMONG MAORIS

HOSPITAL BOARD DISCUSSION. DOMINION CONFERENCE SUGGESTED. Reference to the position in connection with tuberculosis in the Wairarapa, particularly among the Maori population, was made at yesterday afternoon’s meeting of the Wairarapa Hospital Board following on a letter received from the Department of Health. The Department advised that a new department was being set up to combat the disease and asked for the cooperation of medical officers, hospital boards and public health officers. Dr T. L. Parr, Medical Superintendent of the Masterton Hospital, submitted a report on the matter. He stated that the whole position required reviewing, and considered that the stage had been reached when a medical officer could well be employed in the district solely on tuberculosis. The whole of the work should be decentralised as much as possible. Mr J. F. Thompson said tuberculosis was a tremendous problem to deal with. As the home conditions of the Maori race stood at present it was practically hopeless to try and combat the disease. Mr H. Thomas said he had been told by a medical practitioner that practically every one of the 1500 Maoris in the district had tuberculosis. « Mr Thompson said that an endeavour should be made to get to the root of the problem. Mr Duncan McGregor said that something more' than education was needed. Mr A. Forsberg stated that the problem was too big for the board alone to handle. He moved that a conference be called by the Government of all interested hospital medical superintendents and Department of Health officers to consider the control of tuberculosis throughout the Dominion. Mrs S. Fletcher said that in conversation with Maori nurses she had been told that the best thing to do was to “civilise" the natives and explain to them that the hospital wanted to help them and not to hunt them. Mr Trevor Beetham said Mrs Fletcher had hit the nail on the head. The Maoris were very nervous and sceptical of hospital treatment. It was most essential to catch the disease in the early stages. After further discussion the resolution was carried. ,