SICK MAORIS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 75, 25 September 1912, Page 3

SICK MAORIS

SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS AT OTAKI In a report adopted by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday Nurse Lewis, of Otaki, stated that she had been working amongst the Maoris for six months, and during that period had paid 1200 visits, including visits to Plimmcrton. Waikana«, Ohau, Manakau, and Te Horo, 800 thereof being occasioned by sickness. She further described her work in detail, and added :— "Since taking over my duties I have familiarised myself with many of the peculiarities oi the natives and their wnys of living. My greatest difficulty with the treatment of the natives is the overcrowding of sleeping rooms. In many in&tahces men and young girls, mother and father, sleep in the j same room. As an example of this, in one house I was visiting seven people slept in one room, four of whom were adults. Some of the houses of the natives are kept spotlessly clean, while many places are m such a dirty condition that I cannot even put my bag down ■while attending to the patients. In all places where bed linen is used it is spotlessly clean. During the- winter months there has been a great deal of sickness in my district, and my time has practically been fully occupied in attending to it. I hope, however, that during the summer months I will be able to devote more time to teaching and instruction." I Mr. B. ft. Gar defter said in his locality (Levin) there were cases of lung complaints among the Maoris. He thought that if Miss Lewis could not attend from Otaki, then something should be ,done by the Government to meet the case of the natives in Levin. He believed that Miss Lewis Would find as bad a state of things at Levin as at Otaki. Tangis and filthy conditions of living were responsible for an alarming spread of sickness, and greatly increased the native death-rate. Mr. Godber, Mr. U. C. Kirk (the chairman), and Mr, F. T. Moore recog* nised the excellent work of Miss Lewis. They agreed with Mr. Gardener that similar provision, should be made for Levin. Mr. M'Laren highly commended Nurse Lewis on her report. There was evidently very great need for the work. Mr. Gardener subsequently moved that the Department be requested to appoint a second nurse for the northern portion of the Horowhenua district. The motion was carried.