AUCKLAND HEALTH CAMPS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 126, 22 February 1938, Page 2

AUCKLAND HEALTH CAMPS

Accommodation Taxed NEW CENTRES PROPOSED Dominion Special Service. Auckland, February 19. With the existing establishments at Motuilii, Port Waikato and Campbell’s Bay Inadequate for the needs of the province, a considerable expansion in the present facilities by means of the King George V Memorial Fund has been suggested by the Auckland Provincial Central Health Camp Council, according to a statement by the chairman, Sir George Richardson. Permanent,camps —one by the seaside at Auckland, another near Taupo, and a third in the vicinity of Whangarei—are mooted. The Motulhi eamp would continue to be made available as a summer establishment so long as it was not in use for quarantine purposes. During the present season there had been a large increase in the number of applications for admission to the health camps, Sir George stated. They were considerably in excess of the existing accommodation, whereas in former years no difficulty had been experienced in admitting to the Motulhi cainp every child approved by the Health Department. Reasons for Increased Demand. So far as the Auckland province was concerned, it would appear that this increased demand was due to several causes. The King George V Memorial Fund campaign last year widely advertised the good work done at the camps and caused more parents to realise the value of the treatment as a mental and physical tonic for delicate children and an effective means of building up resistance to disease. In addition, the Government had recently set up a national organisation to control health camps and make them available for the accommodation of all children classified as “camp cases” from every district of the Dominion.. The better organisation of health camp committees In country districts throughout the province ensured a more thorough investigation of the local needs, thereby bringing to the notice of the provincial federated camp authorities many cases of children needing treatment which would previously have been overlooked. Position at Motuilii. “As a result of the newly-organised

national health camp scheme, Motulhi camp is no longer a pfirely local institution, but it has become a provincial summer health centre for the reception of specially selected children, not only from the metropolitan area, but also from all parts of the province,” Sir George said. “Although this camp has commodious buildings, its capacity is limited to 150 children at one time. During the 21 weeks it is kept open every year it cannot take more than seven parties of children if the period of each camp is limited to three weeks —a total of 1050 boys and girls for the season.” During the present season about 1000 applications for admission had been received from local children. Of this number, 750 had so far been admitted to health camps, so that 250 had been unable to be accepted. From country districts approximately 1000 applications had come to hand, but, withiu the limited period the Motulhi and Campbell’s Bay camps would be open, only about GOO of these could lie provided for. Four hundred country children would be disappointed this season through lack of accommodation. This number did not include the 450 children admitted to the Port Waikato camp under arrangements made independently by the Waikato Children’s Camp League.