HEALTH PRECAUTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 34, 10 February 1927, Page 13

HEALTH PRECAUTIONS

ARRIVAL OF STEAMERS

POLICY OE THE DEPARTMENT

In order to' clear up apparent misunderstandings as to the delay in the granting of pratique to the steamer lonic, which arrived at Auckland on Tuesday, after cases of 1 influenza on board had occurred in the course of the voyage, the Minister of' Health (the Hon. J. Ay Young) defined..the requirements of his Department in.the matter. : •

Mr. Young stated that on 10th January, the Director-General' of Health, acting upon the Minister's authority, wrote to the medical officers of health at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, instructing them that while there was every reason to hope that -the recent winter outbreak of influenza would be a protection against the epidemic now raging in Europe, it was well to make sure that everything waa in readiness to guara our own frontiers against any importation of infection, ana to deal with any local outbreaks which might occur. The Director-General of Health added that he waa directed to ask medical oflicers of health to arrange to convey to port health officers among other things the following instruction:—

If on-arrival any ship is found to be infected., or give's a history of some severe infection on board, no matter at what stage of the voyage, pratique shall be withheld. In such cases the port health officer shall report the facts to the medical officer of health, who shall personally investigate matter's, wiring head office a brief statement as to the position and his recommendations for action to be taken with the ship. The Direc-tor-General, on receipt, of thia information, will wire whether pratique is to be grantea, or whether full or part quarantine measures are to be imposea. The Minister saia^hat he considered that was the proper thing to do. The Director-General of Health was the head of the Department,'and was, as it were, the general manager of a large business concern, whose duty it was to be in touch with all important actions ■concerning the business. "'I cannot imagine," said Mr. Young, "any effiei- : ently and well-managed corporation expecting to carry on successfully when the general manager is- not kept fully ana promptly advised of all- matters of importance-affecting the policy and administration' laia aown by his directors. The general manager must essentially be held responsible for the consequences of the/actions of his subordinate officers.: That.is what has been done m this case. The Minister has not interfered with the powers of the medical officer of health, working in conjunction with the port health officer, as m this case instructions were clearly set out in the memorandum of 10th January. Ordinarily medical officers of health have fuU power to grant pratique to ships on arrival, but I consider that in view of the reported prevalence and seriousness of the influenza epidemic in Europe the present circumstances are extraordinary and warrant the utmost ea.ution and .justi±y the restrictions imposed, with a view to giving, as far. as possible, ade-' quate protection to the public"