WORK OF VOLUNTARY AIDS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23747, 19 September 1942, Page 5

WORK OF VOLUNTARY AIDS

* 2088 TRAINED IN SOUTH ISLAND DISTRICT

In three years of war 2088 nursing V.A.D.’s' have been fully trained in the various centres in the South Island district—that is, the whole of the island excluding Nelson and Marlborough. This was stated by Miss M. G. Havelaar, chairman of the South Island V.A.Di Council, in a recent report, In addition to nursing V.A.D.’s there are transport V.A.D.’s and domestic V.A.D.’s the latter being trained in kitchen and laundry management. Each of these three services had already shown its value, said Miss Havelaar, and to-day members in each group are on active service. The nursing section had for nearly a year had a contingent on active service and on hospital ship duty. Transport V.A.D.’s, in addition to first aid, have to undergo' a complete training under the Institute of Automotive Engineers and must pass a stiff examination. Domestic V.A.D.’s are divided into two units—cooking and laundry. North Canterbury probably holds the distinc. tion of having formed the first’complete cooking and laundry detachment. A detachment comprises 48 members and a commandant—four section leaders and one head section leader. During the recent epidemic, two auxiliary hospital kitchens in North Canterbury were entirely staffed by Red Cross V.A.D.’s, cooks and kitchen V.A.D.’s, and the entire linen management of these two auxiliary hospitals was under the supervision of the laundry unit commandant in the South Island.