MIDWIVES FOR BACKBLOCKS

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 October 1912, Page 5

MIDWIVES FOR BACKBLOCKS

INTENTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT [by telegraph—per press association.] WELLINGTON, This Day. I Li the House of Representatives yesterday, in replying to Mr C, E. Statham (Dunedin Central), the Minister of Health said that the question of encouraging midwives to practise in the backblocks had been the subject of considerable consideration on the part of the Department, , and the Hospital Boards had advised that free training will bo given in St. Helens’ Hospitals to those women speically recommended by the Boards, as likely to make suitable midwives, provided they engage on completion of their training to serve for a stated period in the more remote country districts. It is considered that this policy is a j better one Ilian to insist on a six months’ extension of the period of training for midwives, which is now for registered nurses six months and for unregistered nurses twelve months. If an additional six months’ course were insisted upon, it might have the effect of detuning many excellent women, trained or untrained, from undertaking the work, and this might result in a shortage of midwives for the dominion.