ISOLATED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 120, 24 May 1938, Page 3

ISOLATED.

ISLAND RESIDENTS. MEDICAL ATTENTION. QUESTION OF SEAPLANE. < Difficulty which faces residents of islands in the Hauraki Gulf, p:tr"i ul.irly the Great Barrier Island. in case-; of need of urgent medical attention, was referred to to-day by tho c-1 riii':.::• 11 of the Auckland Hospital Hoard, the 1! v. W. C. Wood, who said that *he mal.e" was to be brought before the h-'U.-e comniittee with a view of making a report to the board as to what would lie the best f.teps to take. Mr. Wood said that personally fc-? considered that a seaplane n-r , ice should be considered by the a'lt lnu it ic». and in which ca>e lie believed that the board would be prepared to stili-idi-e the cost. The board was always ready to send medical help to the inlands. but at the moment they were faced with a difficulty that only a seaplane, icadv as re(|uired. could remove, lie consi icivl that if such a service were made available, it would have to lie -i-sociated with the air-base at II i!.-oiiviUc. Mr. Wood said that on Waiheke Island, where there were a lar_re number of residents, a district i:- : e »a- r-;i----tioned, and similar provision \.a- made at the Great Barrier Island. When he \isited the latter island re.cully. the question of incdical attention in <a-es of ursrency was brought up. and he had stated that if a seaplane were available it would be used.