HEALTH CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 24, 29 January 1924, Page 6

HEALTH CONTROL

MORE EFFECTIVE POLICY

DECENTRALISATION AND CO-ORDINATION

TO TAKE EFFECT FROM Ist APRIL.

An important announcement dealing with the reorganisation of the Department of Health was made to-day by the Minister of Health (the Hon. Sir Maui Pomare). , •. The reorganisation will not affect the public hospitals' side of the Department's activities, which will be carried on a s now by the head office dealing direct with hospital boards. On the public health side of the Department, however, it is desired to put jnto operation a more effective policy of decentralisation and co-ordination, and it is proposed, as the necessity may arise, to strengthen the district staffs for this purpose.. The reorganisation proposed will come fully into effect on the, Ist April, 1924, and will be as- follows :— As from the Ist April, 1924, the Dominion will be regarded as divided into four health districts having district headquarters at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin respectively; Each district office shall supervise and co-ordinate all activities of the-Depart-ment within the health district. The medical .officer of health shall be the Departmental administrator for the district, and shall exercise a general supervision over all departmental activities, and officers working in his district, except in the case of the Consumptive Sanatoria at Otaki and Pukeora, and King George V: Hospital at Rotorua, and Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer. These institutions, being part of the hos-, pital system of the Dominion, will continue to deal direct with head office as heretofore. The Medical Officer of Health shall exercise full v supervision and control in the case of the medical and nursing vice to Maoris; St. Helens hospitals and staffs; clerical and office staff; nurse inspectors; inspectors of health; district nurses and midwives. In the case-of other departmental activities, ihe administration exercised by the Medical Officer of Health shall cover all matters save those of a purely professional or technical nature, and shall be limited only so far as indicated hereunder:— Division of School Hygiene.—The work of these officers shall, as heretofore, be directed from head office by the Director of the Division of School Hygiene, and this will be done by direct communi-' cation between the Director and the officers concerned. School medical officers shall, -however, forward to the Medical Officer of Health copies of their monthly reports, '.itineraries, and any special reports upon the state of health of school children or upon the conditions of any school buildings. Although the work of school medical officers shall, continue to be directed from' head office, the carrying out of such work shall be subject to the supervision of the Medical Officer of Health as the departmental District Con- ■ trolling Officer, and to the latter officer shall be directed all correspondence relating- to holiday leave, salaries, stores and equipment, office accommodation, etc. . ,;, ; Division of Dental Hygiene.—The wort of offioers of this division shall, as here-' tofore, be directed from head office.by the Director of the Division of Dental Hygiene, and this shall be done by direct: communication between the Director and the officers concerned. Copies of the monthly reports of these officers, however, and also of any special reports, shall be forwarded to the Medical Officer of Health for the district. Although the work of officers of this division will be directed from head office, it is understood the carrying-out of such work is to be subject to the supervision of the Medical Officer of Health as the departmental District Controlling Officer, and to the latter officer shall be directed all correspondence from these officers relating to-holiday leave, salaries, stores and equipment (not purely dental stores), offitie accommodation, etc. Bacteriological Service.—The present arrangements with respect to this service .shall continue: that is to say, for the purpose of district administration, Government Bacteriologists, and assistant bacteriologists stationed at district hospitals, shall be under the administration of the Medical Officer of Health for the district. Any assistant bacteriologist n} av> however, communicate direct with the Government Bacteriologist of his district on any matter on which he desires professional guidance, but with this limitation : so far as these officers are subject to departmental control they shall be under the administration of the Medical Officer of Health.

As a first step in carrying out the above reorganisation, the Whangarei Ofnce was closed on the 30th November, and as from the Ist December the admin: istrationof the present North Auckland MA- i&I been undertaken by the Medical Officer of Health, Auckland