Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1920. MATERNITY HOSPITALS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9392, 14 December 1920, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1920. MATERNITY HOSPITALS.

The matter of-providing'medi-cal and nursing services in country districts is: one of vital importance to those who are concerned . with the development of the agricultural and .pastoral resources /of'Kew,Zealand. Those who know , most about the necessities of settlers in : country districts do not hesitate to say that development in many parts i i IG mmioll is being retardeck by, the non-provision of me*}!- 1 cal and- nursing services and: maternity ahd cottage hospitals, lhis.is, of course, primarily a matter for the<State, which, however, passes its'responsibilities on to >hospital boards, and- it .-.is reasonable to seek, to so organise the public health activities d'^the Dominion that'country residents will be' enabled to secure^ increased benefits from the administration of hospital boards. The appointment of district nurses, qualified'in general nursing and midwifery, is one of the first steps; then the placing of medical men in centres which may not attract them if they attempted to establish themselves m private practice; and then the establishment of maternity centres, that mothers in country districts shall not be deprived of any.of the- facilities and "advantages t enjoyed by those in the towns ., With the' establishment ot small hospital centres in charge of qualified nurses it would be possible to have emergency .cases treated while awaiting transport to ■ central hospitals. The provision of maternity hospitals has been brought under the notice of the Ashburton Hospital Board several times lately and yesterday the Board received a communication on the subject from the' Public Health Department. The latter referred to the fact that the board had ample authority; 1 under the Act to pro* vide .. such institutions,' and quoted' instances in which hospital boards in various parts of the Dominion had taken steps to establish;:,:. maternity* hospitals / The two centres in the Ashbur-' ton Hospital Board's district which are most in "need of maternity hospitals, are Methven and Rakaia,v and, the ; claims of both deserve the fullest consideration. Both are' the obvious centres of large ru,ral .populations. With regard Jo Methven's Tease' the District Health Officer reports that, there is only one medical man- in the district" and that there are J two unlicensedL nursing homes, both of which are to be closed at the beginning of the new year.; We should imagine that the Methven district is insufficiently^, served if there is only one medical man in residence., The district is closely populated j for a rural area, and the calls on a doctor's services are likely .'to be fairly extensive. The District Health Officer stated that the average number of maternity cases in the Meihven district is 60. It seems, therethereforei that Methven at all events has a very good claim, to the establishment of a maternity! hospital. If the average number] of cases is, as large as 60, there would be no question as to the [use likely tcs be made of a maternity hospital in the Mount Hutt district, especially if it was thoroughly and properly equipped for this class of service. The Board "expressed its sympathy with the establishment of maternity hospitals, and recommended that the residents of Methven and Rakaia subscribe generously for this purpose, as the contributions would carry a Government subsidy of 24s 'in the £. The- Board would, when the iv,-oney was collected, 3ixleavou;t' lr> havp the matter art-

■u-ovfl^ f->" '"■ •; ,r,"'.i--ter. In tV meantime, the services of an-

other Jdistrict. nurse /are; fy_> be, secured, if possible, for the Methven •_ district.'' It does not appear that the Board has wasted much sympathy /on Methve'ia.'s. case or even that of Rakaia. The question' of finance may be < a'■ difficulty in the Board's mind, But it should not allowed to act as a bar where the need is so pressing. We believe in the principle of a. district endeavouring to help itself yin a matter of this kind, but it should not be thrown on its own resources. The Board should "give the matter further consideration, in the hope of finding a way to help Methven to some extent. The chairman of the Board, Mr; C. Reid, stated that the Government had established a maternity hospital in Christchufch. Every case has its merits, and it seems that Methven's need is obviously so great that; 'the matter should not be allowed to stand where it is, without a further effort being made to help the people, who, we feehsure,, would gladly help to defray; the cost of so great, an advantage as a properly-equipped and efficiently-managed maternity; hospital.