Retention of X-ray unit supported

Press, 18 June 1982, Page 18

Retention of X-ray unit supported

The South island's only mobile X-ray unit should be retained to help detect lung diseases, the chairman of the Linwood branch of the Labour Party, Mr P. V. Neary, has said.

He said that the branch was opposed to the proposal to scrap the unit which had been used since the 1950 s to detect cases of tuberulosis.

Because the incidence of tuberculosis in New Zealand had fallen dramatically, the health Department was in-

vestigating the unit. It may be dropped to help cut expenditure. But Mr Neary said that the move could cost more in the long run. The free X-ray service was also used to detect other diseases. Some factories where workers were exposed to chemicals and were at a special risk of developing a lung disorder, used the unit regularly. Co-operation between management and workers meant that X-ray checks could be made with little loss of working hours. “If air pollution levels in Christchurch continue to get worse, and there is every indication that they will, the unit could be an important thing to have,” said Mr Neary. “They are doing a very bad thing in scrapping the unit, it would be a poor saving in money. I am sure that there are much better things that they could do," he said.