SPLENDID RESPONSE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20187, 4 March 1940, Page 10

SPLENDID RESPONSE

DOCTORS AND NURSES N.Z.E.F. HOSPITAL BASE COMPLETE EQUIPMENT (Pm- Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. In announcing the Government’s plans for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force hospital base, the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, said the call for medical officers for the first hospital and the convalescent depot had met with so splendid a response that it had been possible to select’for service professional men with excellent qualifications and high reputations as medical practioners, and the hospital attention would be as good as that available for soldiers or civilians in any part of the world. The Minister also expressed (he Government’s appreciation of the line response to the call for nurses lor overseas. Since it became known there would be a definite opportunity for overseas service, the number of nurses who had volunteered had increased to several hundred. This again had made it possible for the authorities to select for the base hospital and other medical units nurses with high qualifications and splendid hospital records. Mr. Jones said the hospital would be equipped with an X-ray department and all the equipment and apparatus needed for the application of modern medical science. Both the general hospital and convalescent hospital would be capable of rapid expansion. The convalescent one would deal with those men regarded as capable of eventual return to their units. Mr. Jones added that the senior _ officers, n.c.o.’s and men of both units had already entered Trentham, and the permanent officers were to join on March 5.