Dr. Turbott’s Explanation Of Health Camp Closing

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29104, 16 January 1960, Page 14

Dr. Turbott’s Explanation Of Health Camp Closing

(New Zeatana Press Association)

WELLINGTON, January 15. The decision to withdraw financial support for the South Canterbury children’s health camp was arrived at after careful consideration of all relevant information, said Dr. H. B. Turbott, chairman of the board of the Health Camps’ Federation, in Wellington tonight. He was referring to announcements in the press last week that the South Canterbury summer camp was being closed down. Dr. Turbott said the board had not acted dictatorially or precipitately, but rather to ensure that funds were put to the best use. “The board has to balance the needs of New Zealand as a whole against the desires of particular districts and a chain of permanent health camps are open all the year round,” he said. “The children from South Canterbury are sent on a quota system to the Glenelg camp at Christchurch A few temporary camps—such as the one at South Canterbury—however, have also been run in some places. Financial difficulties had caused the federation more than once to consider closing the temporary camps. A statement made in Timaru had mentioned the amalgamation of camp funds when’ the health camp movement was reconstituted by Act of Parliament in 1953. all the funds were placed in a central pool. This was a logical and necessary step since the federation was a national organisation, said Dr. Turbott “Information considered by the board, before withdrawing the financial support for the South Canterbury camp, included advice from the local medical officer of health that many of the children attending this temporary or summer camp (held for a few weeks in a school) did not really

need health camp treatment, and for those that did, the normally longer spell in the permanent camp at Glenelg, which has far better facilities, would be more beneficial. “The support of the people of South Canterbury has been very generous, and I wish to emphasise that there is no need to fear that children from Timaru and the surrounding district are being penalised by the closing of this camp. “Every child needing a spell in a health camp can be accommodated at Christchurch and, if the need proves greater than expected, other arrangements will be made.”