Poor Tonga response blamed on TV cover

Press, 12 March 1982, Page 4

Poor Tonga response blamed on TV cover

Inadequate television coverage of the hurricane damage in Tonga has been blamed for the poor response in Christchurch to the Red Cross appeal for the disaster victims. Only $2300. had been collected by the North Canterbury Centre of the Red Cross Society to 5 p.m. yesterday. The centre’s secretarymanager, Mr J. R. Mahoney, thanked those who had given money to the appeal, but said that he was disappointed at the over-all response. Unlike the printed news media, which had given a good coverage of the Tongan disaster, television had lacked in-depth coverage and had failed to show the degree of devastation, he said. Television had in the past been a “potent force” in gaining public support for

disaster appeals. Mr Mahoney cited the excellent coverage television had given to the plight of Kampuchean refugees, which had led to more than $lOO,OOO being given in New Zealand. He urged people to support the society’s appeal for the hurricane victims by sending donations to the. centre, P.O. Box 217, Christchurch. In Auckland, Health Department inspectors, acting on behalf of the New Zealand Red Cross Society were to leave for Tonga yesterday with medical supplies including antibiotics, water-treat-ment chemicals, and X-ray film, the Press Association reported. The group leader, Auckland’s chief health inspector, Mr Ross Eades, said that there was surprisingly little information so far about how

the Tongan people were taring after the cyclone. “My first interest will be water supplies and what people are drinking,” he said. “I imagine supplies in most areas will be disrupted.”

He said he was concerned that some people might have re-established water supplies and could be drinking contaminated water. If so, he might have to consider putting dye into the water to stop people drinking it. He said that the inspectors would be taking water-test-ing equipment and edible oil to spread on any pools of water that could provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

After examining water supplies, his next priority would be the prevention of disease and the proper disposal of human waste. •