WORK OF V.A.D.S

Evening Star, Issue 23525, 14 March 1940, Page 8

WORK OF V.A.D.S

IMPORTANT NICHE IN HOSPITAL SERVICES NOT TO BE SENT OVERSEAS—MEANTIME [Pun Usiren Parss Association.] WELLINGTON, March 13. Though many young New Zealand women are ready and eager to do nursing work overseas they are not at .present to be given the opportunity. Ashed at the Red Cross Conference to-day if there weie any likelihood of Voluntary Aid Division workers being sent overseas for war service, Miss M. I. Lambie, Director of the Nursing Division of the Public Health Department, replied that there was no immediate prospect of this being done. The military authorities had ruled that only registered nurses would be accepted for overseas service. Whether that would continue to be the case she did not know, but it was quite certain that, for the present, no ordinary V.A.D.s would he scut abroad.

The value of the work of V.A.D.s in undertaking hospital work and training under the scheme at present in operation was emphasised by Miss E. R. Bridges, of the Public Health Department. She said many V.A.D.s were inclined to regard the duties they were called upon to do as menial, but they were actually of considerable importance. During the last war, and in epidemics and other emergency work in which voluntary aid had been employed, the value of the service rendered had sometimes been affected by two deficiencies. First, V.A.D.s lacked practical experience in a hospital, and secondly, regular nursing staffs of the hospitals had not always appreciated the work and position of the V.A.D., nor had the V.A.H. understood what was involved in the full work of the registered nurse. The scheme inaugurated last year for giving V.A.D.s a certain amount of practical experience in hospitals would, it was believed, remedy both deficiences. “ The health of dnr people, of vital importance at any time, is even more s 6 at present. It is indeed a national asset.” said Miss Bridges. “ Any contribution to the maintenance of health is a national service of first importance and the duty of each of us is to carry out willingly and to the best of our ab’litv any part of it which wo arc aide.”