NEED FOE ALARM

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 143, 14 December 1933, Page 5

NEED FOE ALARM

NURSES AND TUBERCULOSIS

' (By Telejraph.) ■ • ' (Special to the "JEveriing Post.") DTJNEDIN, This DaJ'. Regarding the statement by Mr. F. Jones (Dunedin South) in the House of Representatives that there was a high percentage of tuberculosis among hospital nurses. Drs. Thomson and Lyth, of the Dunedbi institutions, said there was nothing to be alarmed about, although continuous vigilance must always be exercised. "We are taking every step we know of to prevent the disease," they said. "'lt is a matter constantly in our minds. We agree with the Minister that infection of nurses is an occupational risk, and we think that the time is bound to come when the liability of-infection will be provided for by special insurance." ! Dr». Thomson arid Lyth said they were safe in saying that Otago did not compare unfavourably with other countries and other parts of New Zealand. Investigation had proved that in .the sanatoria the incidence' of disease among nurses was very low. The difficulty in such investigation was that they did not know how many nurses formerly had tuberculosis, but nurses now appeared to be getting it earlier in their training. However, the tuberculosis rate was falling generally, and in the last few years the death rate in Xew Zealand hnd fallen rapidly.