Five Years To Cope With Problems Of Backward

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31378, 25 May 1967, Page 5

Five Years To Cope With Problems Of Backward

“I would like to think that in five years you will be able to cope with the bard core problems,” said the acting head of the department of psychological medicine at the University of Otago (Dr. P. J. Lewis) at a discussion held by the Christchurch branch <f the Emotionally Handicapped Children’s Society in Christchurch this week.

“There is a great deal one can do within the existing services but we are looking at a whole constellation of interlocking forces in each child. The difficulties are enormous.

“You can only do the best with what you have,” he said. “In-patient beds need to be created but this makes new demands for staff. I don’t see any easy solution.

“But I do feel a worthwhile situation is developing and there is a fund of good will.

“I only hope the professional side can move forward with the public. It is a most urgent problem with which the medical profession will have to deal.” Dr. Lewis said there was a world-wide tendency to move the problem back to the hospitals and amalgamate the interlocking services. The start had to be made in a small way, but it could be done.

“This way, those qualified to do the work can get on and do it. In the four main centres we are faced with the enormous problem of getting something going,” he said.