HEALTH WORKERS

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18901, 17 January 1927, Page 9

HEALTH WORKERS

IMPORTANT PROPOSALS

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND

EXAMINATION

At the annual conference of the New Zealand Sanitary Inspectors' Association, to be opened nest week at Auckland, important proposals dealing with the training and education of the health works, will be considered. A preliminary discussion on the subject has taken place between the Wellington sub-committee of the Association and Dr. McKibbin, Director of Public Hvgiene, and has paved the way lor the discussion by the conference. L»rMcKibbin and Dr. Makgill will present the • proposals to the members of the Association. Proposals Outlined. '■We are authorised," says the ■"Review," the official organ of the Association. ' ; to make the statement that it is recognised that the necessity exMs for providing an ampler system of educating and training the health workers in the Dominion, and for brin"iu<r our qualifying examinations up to a"standard which will bear com-->pvison with those held in other countries. With this end in view, it is proposed : .11, "1. To set ui) &" executive nod} very similar in constitution to the Conjoint Sanitary Inspectors' Examination Board in England, and vested' with similar functions. Our Association will be eiven representation on such .executive body, which will be official in character, and under the control of the Department of Health, in a similar manner as is the Conjoint Board at Home, under the Ministry of Health. The functions of such an executive will be to deal largely, if not entirely, with the education, trainine. and examination of the prospective health worker. "2. In addition to this executive body, the opinion is expressed that there is need for some Association -n this country, wider in scope than our own. which will cater for the educational needs of our own members, and for those of the whole of the health workers of the Dominion. "An Association which will provide some common meeting ground for the discussion of matters of interest of several and communal importance edn--1 cah'onnllv to all. An Association which will make for unity in such matters amonest the health worker* in the Dominion. It is suggested th«t in the hecinninr/ at least memhirsliip in <;'ieli \an Association be confined to those j holding some recognised rmnlifr o tion in I any branch of public health work.

Many Advantages. "The wish has been expressed that our Association should take a prominent part in the initiation of such an Association. That, using our present organisation as a starting point, wo should extend our activities in the direction of building up an organisation which would make for the euucational betterment of the whole personnel ot the health workers throughout the Dominion. Such an organisation will be entirely unofficial in character. From its very nature, however, it is hoped that it will merit the support morally and fiharicially of the Government and of all local authorities. "There can be no question that the formation of an executive body dealing with the training and examination of prospective sanitary inspectors will meet with the hearty approval of the Association. "tXntil the details lof any scheme providing for our merging our Association into the wider organisation proposed are before us, it would be premature to .enter into minute analysis of this proposal. Suffice to say that ou the face it bears the appearance of presenting many advantages to us in the direction of widening our educational outlook, providing a larger local membership, and making for more attractive and educational -inferences.

"Self-interest has never obtruded itself in the policy of our Association, and we feel sure that the proposal that we should forsake our position as an Association 'for sanitary inspectors only.' and link «r> with other branches of the service, will receive the sympathetic, 'yet careful, consideration of our executive and of the whole of the Association, and, that some satisfactorv means may he arrived nt for giving effect to Dr. McKibbin's proposal."