SHIPBOARD “HEALTH CENTRES ”

Evening Star, Issue 23128, 30 November 1938, Page 7

SHIPBOARD “HEALTH CENTRES ”

ORIENT LINE INNOVATION TWO VESSELS EQUIPPED AS EXPERIMENT / An innovation for those desiring to travel from England to New Zealand to gain the benefits of the healing qualities of Rotorua or other health resorts, now introduced by the Orient Line, was explained by the general manager for Australia (Mr Arnold W. Johnson), who is at present in Dunedin on a business trip, in an interview this morning. This was the introduction of “ health centres ” aboard two of the liners maintained on the Australian service by the company. Owing to the unrest in many European countries, he said, many persons from the United Kingdom now had no desire to make health trips to German spas, as was their practice previously. They wished to avojd any excursions that would not be in the best interests of their health. To supply the facilities lost to them through the undesirability of the Continental health resorts, the Orient Line had installed on two vessels these health centres, which were fitted out to supply all the requirements of ailing or convalescent people daring a sea voyage. Skilled masseurs, doctors, and all the paraphernalia they would require en route were provided, and these ensured that those taking the voyages would not have to undergo the strain of a sea voyage which would perhaps permit their illness to “ get ahead of them.”

This feature was in its experimental stage at present, said Mr Johnson, but he felt sure that there would be many persons who would take advantage of the opportunity to travel to New Zealand for health purposes who would not have considered the journey He cited the case of the Australian cricket team returning to the Commonwealth from England after a strenuous tour. It would be much preferable for those suffering slight injuries on the tour to travel under the supervision of skilled medical attendants all the time than to make the voyage home without such care as could be offered.