PREVENTING DISEASE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 246, 12 July 1921, Page 6

PREVENTING DISEASE

EFFORT NEEDED IN NEW ZEALAND HOSPITAL COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDATION Increased attention to the prevention of sickness in New Zealand is one of the recommendations of the Hospital Commission. "Your commission,” states the report, “received evidence upon the possibilities of preventive treatment being tho means of reducing the number of hospital patients, and thereby lessening hospital expenditure, and formed the opinion that it is practicable by propaganda work on the right lines, materially. to improve the health of the community. ‘I feel confident,’ said Dr. Hcrljort, of Wellington, ‘in stilting that one-third of the diseased conditions which force patients into public hospitals is preventible,’ and ho then emphasised the necessity of medical inspection and physical training of school children. Dr. Colquhoun, of Dunedin, was emphatic upon the necessity of ‘fresh nir schools as a means of raising healthy school children, and the Hon. Dr. Collins, of Wellington, spoke on similar lints’. “Your commission is of opinion that an increased effort to prevent disease should be organised by the partment. and attention should be directed towards ensuring healthy conditions in our schools, the restriction of movements of infectious disease carriers, and. tt _ _ suffering from active venereal diseases, proper inspection of childrens teeth; effective medical inspection of immigrants anl ships’ crews to detect infectious oi contagious disease; .destruction of jats, flies- and other.vermin-corners of disea- . Year commission further considers tlrnt liberal encouragement should be gne the Government for medical work, more especially in eases that are more, prevalent hare in other countries.