EVACUEES FROM CHINA

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24676, 20 September 1945, Page 4

EVACUEES FROM CHINA

* TREATMENT AT BURNHAM ACCOMMODATION FOR 80« AVAILABLE If necessary, accommodation for 300 former prisoners of war and. internees from the China Coast and Hong Kong, -due to reach New Zealand soon, will be found at the convalescent depot at Burnham Military Camp. Beds will be provided at the Christchurch Hospital for any cases requiring medical treatment. No details of the accommodation demand to be made on Canterbury for the care of the prisoners and civilians have been received by either the Southern Military District or the North Canterbury Hospital Board; but a conference yesterday between medical officers resulted in a plan being drawn up in anticipation of the arrival of persons suffering from malnutrition and privation while in Japanese hands. Colonel Sir Hugh Acland, Assistant-Director of Medical Services for the Southern District, and Dr. A. D. Nelson (Medical Superintendent of the Christchurch Hospital) drew up the tentative plans. Because all the prisoners and internees have been able to make the long voyage to New Zealand, it is not anticipated that any cases requiring strict medical care will be arriving. The hospital at Burnham has accommodation for 30 patients; but the staff has been dispersed and any cases requiring hospital treatment will probably be admitted to the Christchurch Hospital, which, although crowded, has bad to provide beds for emergency military cases on several occasions. The convalescent depot at Burnham is considered to be an admirable place for accommodating the prisoners and internees who need building up. The depot was established to “rebuild” soldiers to a condition to enable them to rejoin their units. A feature of the treatment was occupational therapy. The staff was recently dispersed but no great problem is expected in assembling another staff to care for the new arrivals. Light nursing can be provided for fairly quickly. Burnham is considered by the nun* tary authorities to be ideally situated and equipped for such a camp. Transport by road and rail is available to Christchurch and the recreation available in the district is diversified.