FREE LABORATORY SERVICE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23317, 1 May 1941, Page 6

FREE LABORATORY SERVICE

—■-4 - INTRODUCTION AT HOSPITALS

“The Government has intimated that a Ire? hospital laboratory service will come into operation in the near future," said Dr, A, B. Pearson, patholo. gist at the Christchurch Public Hospital, in his annual report to the North Canterbury Hospital Board yesterday. “I am very certain this will mean a heavy increase in the number of specimerts cqrpipg to the laboratory. It will necessitate an increase in the technical and probably the clerical staff. Recent experience has proved that .trained technicians in New Zealand are not available, so that it will be necessary tq procure partly trained people from other hospitals or recruits from schools, etc. “Up to the present we have had sufr ficient stocks of apparatus, glassware, and chemicals to meet our requirements,’’ said pr. Pearson in discussion of the department’s general work. “Certain chemicals which were ord« ered and shipped from Great Britain failed to reach their destination. “I am afraid we may have difficulty in the future. Soma of our bacteriological apparatus is very old and one supply of spare parts for this appara. tus is exhausted. It will pot he possible to obtain any more spare parts. It appears that we can obtain all laboratory requirements from the United States, but the cost is alarming. Attempts to acquire materials from Japan were not successful.''

Free Fishing—Provision has been made by the Government to grant free fishing and shooting facilities in Rotorua to any of the sick and wounded men of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force who returned to the Dominion on Tuesday, and who may be in Rptorua for convalescence.—Press Association. .>