Student Health Clinic At Ham Wanted

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30196, 30 July 1963, Page 15

Student Health Clinic At Ham Wanted

The establishment of a temporary medical examination clinic at Ham, and careful planning for the permanent clinic on the new site are recommended in the annual report of the student health service for the University of Canterbury, presented to the council of the university yesterday. Many of the problems arising out of the rapidlyexpanding service could be overcome by the appointment of a full-time medical staff, the report said. It was considered undesirable to have duties which were full-time in their demands carried out by a part-time medical officer Mr J. N. Matson, chairman of the student health committee. who presented the report, said that the staff problem was under consideration but limited by funds. Results from the health scheme showed that 84 per cent, of students did not smoke or only had an occasional cigarette. More than half the student roll did not have sufficient outside interests such as clubs, sports or hobbies. Although chest X-rays were recommended to most students only 34 per cent, reported for the examinations. “This is a poor response, especially when a special effort was made to encourage students to use this benefit during the year,” the report said. The appointment of counsellors late last year was too late for their usefulness to

the service to be assessed, it said

“No doubt they will make some difference to the work of the medical officers, but as pointed out previously, problems that arise in the course of a medical consultation are generally to be solved between that doctor and his patient, and cannot be referred to a third person unless the doctor feels unable to cope with the problem himself.

“It is not in the field of general counselling that the student health officers need help, but in cases requiring urgent, skilled psychiatry. The minor problems of administration and ethics could be solved through the General Student Welfare conference, but great care must be exercised by medical practitioners who refer patients for therapy to non-medical_ personnel.

“The strictly legal aspects of this situation need careful consideration,” said the report.

Unless ways were found to cope with the growing demands of increasing enrolments, a reduction in the work of the service was inevitable, the report said. "The success or failure of many students in the university is dependent on manv factors, but the efficiency of their student health service plays an important part.” Mentioning the advice on founding a medical clinic at Ham, Professor H. J. Hopkins said that engineering students formed the greatest number of students examined in spite of the inconvenience of having to travel into the city from Ilam for the tests.

“If they are prepared to co-operate to that extent, it is only reasonable that we should do something worth while for them.’’ he said.