Support For Health Camps

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31837, 15 November 1968, Page 12

Support For Health Camps

The New Zealand Health Camp Federation would have, to depend on Government support during the next 12 months, the Dominion president (Mr G. Burns), of Christchurch, said yesterday. The entire reserves of the federation had now been eaten up in maintaining the camps because of a fall in public support. Mr Burns was commenting on the sharp decline in support for this year’s health stamp campaign. Sales of health stamps to date had fallen $16,210 on last year’s figures for New Zealand and by $3905 for Christchurch. With only two weeks of the campaign remaining there seemed little chance of the

sales rising to anything like previous years.

Mr Burns said that the position was one which had been exercising the minds of federation members for the last 18 months. The economic situation and the introduction of other stamps had affected sales of health stamps in the main centres, although in some of the smaller towns sales had risen. Mr Burns said it was good business for the Government to back the health camp scheme. Whereas it cost only $2.50 to keep a child in a health camp it cost $l5 a day in a hospital.

The six health camps in New Zealand were open for nearly the whole year for the benefit of children in need of special treatment to improve their general health. There is no doubt about the success of the camps. A special survey taken independently had revealed that 93 per cent of children sent to health camps had maintained good, health during the subsequent 12 months. In Christchurch alone there were nearly 50 children considered by doctors, school nurses and teachers to be in need of special attention at the camps. But there was ro ? m „, at an y one time for only 31 children.

Broken Nose.— The Empire p 8 H»vU Bht , boxing champion,' LS 1 " '-Jamaica), suffered a broken nose when he was stopped by the Mexican, C Tp. r “ ona l. San Antonio, i .J 18 ? 168 ret >red at the end of the fourth round. Six-day Race.— n. Altig (West Germany), and P. Sercu (Bel. gium) won the Dortmund sixday cycle race, finishing one lap ahead of their nearest rivals, J Kemper and K. Oldenburg (West Germany).

He said that the average stay at the camps was between six and eight weeks, although some stayed up to 20 weeks. It depended upon the needs of each child. The health camps were in no sense a place for holidaying. Children went to them for the sole purpose of improving their health. The only time of the year the camps were closed was at Christmas when staff were on leave.