REASON WHY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 84, 9 April 1940, Page 9

REASON WHY.

NEW ZEALAND FIRST.

CARE OF OUR SOLDIERS.

WOMAN EXPERT'S VIEW.

"The decision not to grant permits to nurses to travel outside Xew Zealand should not be regarded as a 'restriction* in the ordinary sense of the word," said Miss E. M. Xutsey, lady superintendent of the Auckland Hospital. "We have to look after our own people in Xew Zealand, to supply military hospitals overseas and to have sufficient nurses in tho Dominion not only for the care of the sick, but for the care of the wounded in case of invasion,'' she continued.

"The reason why so many nurses have left Xcw Zealand in past years has had nothing to do with military service. They desired, generally speaking, to see the world and obtain wider experience. It is only natural that with the outbreak of hostilities our nurses should ]>o keen to take their part with the Expeditionary Forces. The excitement of war is responsible for many nurses offering their services, but Xcw Zealand is not sending a great number overseas at the present time. Eighteen nurses went with the First Echelon and another 33 will go with the Second Echelon. It is considered that that will be sufficient nursing staff for Xew Zealand's first hospital in Egypt. Of course, additional nurses will be sent with the Third Echelon, and also with the reinforcements. In the circumstances, you can see how necessary it is that New Zealand's trained nurses are cither utilised for the care of Xew Zealand soldiers or for the care of the Xew Zealand people apart from the military.

Higher Education. "To prevent nurses leaving New Zealand to join the military services apart from those of New Zealand, control is necessary. I know that by serving in various parts of the world nurses can gain much knowledge of new methods. In fact this is regarded as a higher education course by many who have left Now Zealand in the past and returned to resume the practice of their profession in the Dominion."

Miss Xutsey said that many of the nurses who went to England for experience remained there, and the Dominion lost their services permanently. Information had been coming to hand recently, however, to the effect that with the evacuation of many of the British civilian hospitals owing to the war, nurses were not getting as much employment as formerly, and some were returning to New Zealand.

Asked whether it would be possible to recruit New Zealand nurses in England for service with the New Zealand hospitals to be established in Egypt Miss Nutsev said that such a proceeding would not be fair to the nurses who remained in the Dominion. Some of the nurses domiciled overseas had been away for many years. "New Zealand nurses who liava remained at their posts in their own country consider that it is their privilege to be selected to j;o overseas with the New Zealand troops," she said. "They would be anything but pleased if the Government decided to select New Zealand nurseu domiciled in England, who left their own country in search of work and perhaps adventure. It is because the Government wants to hold on to its own nurses that the. restriction on travel ha* been introduced."

Last War, 554 Nurses. In the Great War New Zealand sent 554 nurses to serve overseas, Miss Nutsev said. That number or more might bo needed during this war. So far New Zealand was talking of two hospitals, but when actual fighting commenced and New Zealand troops were involved additional hospitals would in all probability be needed. The Dominion had four hospitals in the last war and convalescent depots in addition. Miss Nutsev recalled the epidemic of influenza that swept New Zealand towards the end of the last war. "There were not nearly sufficient nurses in the country at that time," she added. "K very thing possible must be done to ensure first-class care for those who remain in New Zealand and for the care of men invalided home from the front."