R.S.A. Critical Of Care Of Ailing Veterans

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30934, 15 December 1965, Page 28

R.S.A. Critical Of Care Of Ailing Veterans

Returned servicemen who wanted to go into a veterans’ home should not have to go wherever there was a vacancy, said members of the executive committee of the Christchurch Returned Services’ Association at a meeting on Monday evening. The president (Mr D. Barrett) said he was very much against asking men to leave Christchurch, where they might have lived all their Ilves, to enter • a home in Timaru or Levin. Mr A. S. Farrar said if a man refused to go 'into a home when there was a vacancy he was taken off the waiting list Several members said that this was a wrong. “We know the Government is dodging its responsibilities.’* said Mr G. McMillan. “Mr Kinsella and a few more of them say— -I’m quoting the papers—they’re doing their job. I don’t think they are doing their job.” Sandilaada Settlement

The executive hoped that suburban committees and subbranches would be able to help to raise another £BOOO needed to complete the Rrst stage at the Sandilands aervices settlement in Pages road, said Mr Barrett The executive was forced to ask for this because there was not sufficient accommodation at Rennerdale, he raid, but he thought it was really the Government’s responsibility. On July 13 the executive applied for assistance from the supplementary , assistance fund for two men who were in convalescent homes, said Mr

Ftanr. Ono man paid 14 10s a week out of his nensloo of M but was still I* a week short of tho weekly charge by the homo. The other man was £3 ITS short The war Parisians and social security authcritiee claimed the care of the sick was not their problem, said Mr Farrar, and referred the matter to the Health Department Thia in turn referred It to the North Canterbury Hospital Board, and still no- decision had been reached as to who was rasnonaiWa. ' “They an shufltog about as to who to to do the damn thing,” said Mr T. McCormick. Mtoa M. Rae said that it was unfortunate that if they were not returned servicemen they would have been assisted. They had penalised themselves by serving -their country. The committee agreed that a letter ahould be written to the Dominion aasociation’s executive committee asking it to take up the matter urgently with the Minister in charge of War Pensions (Mr Kinsella).