NEW PLUNKET ROOMS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 144, 20 June 1928, Page 9

NEW PLUNKET ROOMS

OPENED. AT, PALMERSTON NORTH ' ■ (From Our Special Reporter.) 1 , PALMERSTON N., 19th June. Speaking at the opening of the new Plunkot room on the showgrounds today the Minister of Health, the Hon. J. A. Young, p„aid a tribute to tho work of the Plunket Society and the women's division of tho Farmers' Union. No bettor field for activity was offered to the women who had time on their' hands than tho Plunket Society and kindred organisations.1. It was his duty as s Minister of Health "to do everything possiblo .with -the research at his disposal to -promote- the health of the people, £ . and the best way ho could do that was to sco that .access to health was made, available to everyone. It. was interesting to note that 21 years ago tho infantile mortality \rate in New Zealand ' had been tho highest that tho Dominion had ever' had. Out of every thousand children born 88.8 had died,in tho first year. Then it, was that. Sir Truby King founded the PlUnket Society with ono branch and one nurse. Now the society had" 60 branches and 100 nurses, and the grrfat work that, was being done was. " recognised by the Government, V/hieli ' subsidised ' the movement. Actually the infantile mortality rate "was now 38.7, which groat' drop was an indication of tho value of tho work. The Dominion rate was now tho lowest in the world, and while New Zealand was proud of this there was still work to'be done. This was in the direction of reducing mortality during tho first month, and at present Sir Truby King was abroad making investigations in other countries as to the means.by which this could be reduced. At present out of tho 38.7 children who died in the first year of their lives, 25 succumbed during the first month, and these 'showed that tho country had not yet reached the irreducible minimum. Other countries could" give'tho Dominion points iv ■ this regard.