MATERNITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 54, 5 March 1937, Page 3

MATERNITY.

SERVICES IN N.Z. COMMITTEE TO INQUIRE. I FIRST REPORT COMPLETED

(By Telegraph—l'ress Association.) WELLINGTON", Thursday. The Minister of Health, the Hon. P I'raser, announces that the committee set up in August last to impiire into the question of septic abortion in New Zealand, lias concluded its work, unci the chairman, Dr. D. (;. McMillan. M.l'., has placed the report in the hanels of the .Minister. It is expected that the report will he published shortly. The members of the committee are Dr. McMillan, Dr. V T. F. Corkhill. Dr. Sylvia Chapman, Dr. T. L. Paget and Mrs. Fraser.

The Government has decided to j appoint members of the committee, with the addition of Mrs. A. M. Hutchinson, of Auckland, and Mrs. X. (>. Kent- • lohnston. of Christchurch. as a committee of iuipiiry into the maternity services of New Zealand with the toflowinp: cider of reference: — (1) To inquire generally into a report upon any matter all'eet intr the maternity services of the Dominion, and to put forward any relevant recommendation. (-) In particular to inquire into the report (a) whether the maternity hospital services e.f the Dominion are adequate and eflieicnt in respect, lirstlv. to maternity hospitals and maternity wards established by hospital boards, secondly. maternity hospitals maintained by the fJovernment and. thirdly, private maternity hospitals; (b) whether the ante-natal and post-natal services of the Dominion are adequate, and it not in what respects they should be extende»d; (ci whether organised di-triet nursin«r services which afford maternity service are adequate and satisfactory; Cd) the extent to which anaesthetics are administered to women in childbirth in public maternity hospitals and whether this fnocediire should be extended: (e) whether there should be a resident medical officer attached to the staff of la rjjer public maternity hospitals; (ft whether maternity services provided for the Maori race are adequate, and if not. how they should be extended; fpr) whether the training of midwives and maternity nurses is satisfactory and adequate, and whether the number of persons who are beimr <mined is sufficient for the needs of the Dominion. The committee will bo fakincr evidence in Wellington and other centres, which will lie announced later.