INTEREST IN KARITANE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28981, 24 August 1959, Page 10

INTEREST IN KARITANE

President’s Letter To Commission

The president of the Christchurch Plunket Society (Mrs A Rose) is “very distressed” at the comment of the chairman of the Consultative Committee on PreSchool Health Services (Sir George Finlay), published in a Press Association report in Saturday’s issue of “The Press.” that “he sensed a lack of interest by the Christchurch Plunket Society in its Karitane Hospital.” Mrs Rose has written to Sir George Finlay in reply to his comment.

Mrs Rose said in the letter that she deeply regretted that the senior vice-president and herself had been unavoidably absent from Christchurch during the Consultative Committee’s visit here.

“Had I known in advance that you intended visiting Karitane Hospital I would have arranged for members of my committee to meet you there and extend hospitality.

For your information, sir, we have a management and finance committee, who meet at the hospital once a month • and attend to the finance and wellbeing of Karitane, This committee consists of four prominent businessmen, one vice-president and myself. We also have a house committee who visit the hospital once every two months and attend to the furnishings and domestic side, and another committee attend to all the sewing,” Mrs Rose said.

All committee members of the Christchurch branch were very interested in the society and the Karitane Hospital and raised a large amount of funds, said Mrs Rose. Last year her committee raised £1223 for the hospital while , parents gave £1372. Country branches supplied Karitane with more than 300 dozen eggs and mothers clubs did all the hospital sewing. “I do most sincerely apologise for our apparent lack of interest.” she said. “But I do wish to assure you sir, that such is not the case.”