HEALTH INSPECTION AT PORTS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 48, 26 February 1914, Page 3

HEALTH INSPECTION AT PORTS

' IS IT ADEQUATE? CHRISTCHURCIf, £sth February. The case of a man who was found to be suffering from tuberculosis when lie arrived at Lyttelton on 24th Decem'bcr by the Maunganui from .Sydney, was referred to at to-day's meeting of the Hospital Board. A letter was i-eceived from Dr. Frengley, Deputy Chief Health Officer, who stated that he had caused enquiries to be made, and had found that 469 passengers arrived by the Maunganui on the trip mentioned, and the Port Health Officer sta.ted that no person suffering obviously from tuberculosis to the extent alleged was passed by him. The real difficulty was (the Deputy Chief Health Officer continued), especially on ships which carried no medical health omcer, that the Port Health Officer did not have enough time in which to make a sufficient examination of all passengers. Assuming that it would take five minutes to systematically examine a person's chest, there would have been .sy^ hours' delay caused by the Port Health Officer's inspection. Even if six medical officers* were employed, six hours would be taken. This would mean an interference with commerce , and travelling which wouH be much resented by New Zealanders themselves. The provisions of the Immigration Restriction Act were deemed sufficient as long as the consumptive is discovered before pratique is granted. One good efl'ect of attention being called to the matter would be to cause the Port Health officers to ( be still more vigilant in stopping suspects for more complete examination. In the course of a brief discussion, the secretary, in reply to a question, stated tha.t the man himself said that he was most carefully examined by the Port Health Officer. Mi. George Scott was of opinion that someone ( should be responsible for such cases-— either the authorities at Home or the shipping companies Mr. J. D. Hall asked where the patient was at present. The Chairman : He is still here. Mr. Hall: Very bad? The Chairman : Yes. Mr. G, Scott moved that the attention of the Government be called to the ease with which people suffering from tuberculosis and kindred diseases are admitted to the Dominion, and that the Gov- ! ernment be asked to have more stringent precautions taken. Mr. Wi H. Cooper seconded the motion, and expressed, the opinion that the Government should bear the expense of such cases^ and not the Hospital Board. The motion was agreed to,,