EPS. MEDICAL UNIT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 128, 2 June 1942, Page 2

EPS. MEDICAL UNIT

DUTIES OF MEMBERS

An explanation is sought by "First Aider;" of an order recently issued that no member of the Red Cross or St. John Ambulance Brigade i» to 'attend meetings of these units If such meetings happen to coincide with a meeting of his E.P.S. section. "The penalty for such a breach is to be a minimum fine of £2. The Controller of the medical unit, E.P.S., also has power to transfer any member .of either of these two organisations to any other section of the. E.P.S. without consulting' anyone, or without allowing any appeal to be made on behalf of the member concerned- As one qualified to speak from personal experience, and close contact with the E.P.S. movement over a long period, I consider these orders indicate lack of co-operation and understanding by the authorities concerned. Since the in-: ception of the E.P.S. movement many thousands of leisure hours have been given up by both Red Cross and St. John Ambulance personnel to training thousands of E.P.S. members in first aid* Now these trained personnel are to be denied the right to continue their studies and practice with their own units. ' "Are these two organisations, -whose record over many years of public duty both in peace and war is worthy of the highest commendation, to be stifled? InOthe Napier earthquake, how , many hundreds of people in that' area were grateful for the, appearance of the men and women bearing the Red Cross or the eight-pointed star, whose training in the relief of suffering had been gained by regular voluntary attendance at the unit meetings that are now to be disregarded." In reply to the correspondent, Dr. T G. Gray, Controller 'of the medical unit, E.P.S.. states that the letter appears to have been written with an Limperfect knowledge of the facts; It iis not correct that an order has been issued that no member of the Red Cross or St. John Ambulance Brigade is to attend a meeting of these organisations, if such meeting hap- | pens to coincide with a meeting of his E P.S. section. "The position is that the recent regulations, and the conditions of service issued concurrently therewith, impose upon members of an E.P.S. unit an obligation to accept, the instructions given by the Controller of the unit in relation to their duties or by officers acting with the authority of the Controller. In particular, they are obliged to attendparades or other assemblies of the unit unless exempted from attendance by. the Controller or an officer acting with, his authority. What the regulations do. in effect, say is .that the duties of members of the medical unit prevail over any obligations they may have as members of any other organisations such as the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance Brigade. If the position were otherwise and members of tne EPS. were free to please themselves as to when they would attend and when they would be absent, the medical unit would soon cease to exist "It is conceded freely that the Red Cross and St. John Association have been of great assistance to the medical unit but the organisation and operation ot an aid post entail a great deal more than the attendance of personnel who have taken classes in. first aid. The members of a. post require to hold Sequent practices to weld themselves into a team in which first aid, administration, recording, &*&&' stretcher-bearers, nurses, and doctors have each their parts to play, and the unit can become effective only J>y constant practice to develop discipline and the team spirit. The value of the Red Cross and St. John's personnel rests not only in their knowledge of i first aid, but in their availability as ! members of a well-organised first aid post in emergency, and it would fee impossible to' have this assurance if members were free to come and go when they pleased. . '"There is no stated penalty for nonattendance ■at parades as the^correspondent states, but the Controller may impose a penalty not exceeding £2 fnot a minimum penalty of *.<!) for 'serious breaches of discipline.' There is provision for appeal to tne (Central Executive. The Controller cannot transfer personnel from one section of the. E.P.S. to another; tins is done \&hen necessary,by the Centou Executive, but the Controller may allocate any member to any first aid post within the medical unit. I have no doubt that all the administrative officers and others concerned with the building up and operation of the medical unit welcome the regulations referred to as likely .to be of material assistance in ensuring that we shall have an efficient medical unit/which is likely to give adequate to the public in emergency.