CONSUMPTIVES ADMISSION TO NEW ZEALAND. DISCUSSION AT A HOSPITAL BOARD MEETING.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 72, 26 March 1914, Page 8

CONSUMPTIVES ADMISSION TO NEW ZEALAND. DISCUSSION AT A HOSPITAL BOARD MEETING.

(»T TELEGRAPH.— SPECHL TO TIH POST.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Since Christinas tlje Christchurch Hospital has had as an inmate of its chronic ward a consiimjative who was landed by the Maunganui irom Australia. He has been the subject of lengtrfy conespondence between the board and the Department, and there was a discussion at yesterday's meeting of the board as to the means of checking consumptive immigrants. The Minister of Public Health wrote, stating that he regretted that cases of consumption occasionally escaped the vigilance oT the port health officers, but the officer concerned in the present case was most careful and zealous to examine the chest of each passenger. He would delay a vessel for forty hours, and he. (the Minister) doubted whether the public would welcome the prolonged detention necessary for the exhaustive examination of passengers. Dr. Valintine, in the course of a letter, wrote : "As to whether some steps cannot be taken to prevent such cases landing in New Zealand, I have to inform you that vessels are inspected at the port of arrival by the port health officer, special attention being paid to the detection of persons suffering from consumption. A good many cases are detected of this disease, but naturally somp escape the vigiJance of the officer. In such instances the Department is prepared to receive the patients at the Cambridge sanatorium, where they can be treated without cost to the board concerned." Dr. Valintine, "who was present at the meeting, said that he had authorised the removal of the patient to the Cambridge sanatorium. The • man, he understood, was quite fit to travel. Mr. 0. Bradley said that the removal of the man did'ndt relieve the taxpayers of the burden. It seemed to him that as the man was so bad that he had to go immediately into hospital, there had been some carelessness in admitting him. Dr. Valintine said that the medical officers could not be expected to stop every case, because in some cases-,where a consumptive had been^ living an outdoor life the disease was very difficult to detect. Dr. Fenwick said that the examination mfg'ht be made on board. Dr. Valintine replied that this was his idea. He wanted to make the responsibility fall on the shipping company. If the officer was assured by the ship's officer that the ship was clear, and it was found that" there was a case of consumption aboard, the ship should be liable. But he could not gSt the Government to adopt that course. Dr. Fenwick said Ihat there was no medical officer on the Sydney line. Dr. Valintine said it was only a matter of time when the Union Company would carry medical officers.