SERVICE PATIENTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21632, 8 February 1945, Page 4

SERVICE PATIENTS

GOVERNMENT POLICY MINISTER’S" DEFENCE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 7. 1 That the decision of the Government against the establishment of separate military hospitals and treating returned servicemen in civilian hospitals was sound was confirmed by the experience of five years of war, said the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, Minister of Health, when opening the conference of the Hospital Boards’ Association. He thanked the boards for the splendid part they had played in the war effort in the face of many great difficulties. 1 The Government’s decision upon the treatment of sick and wounded servicemen was not reached lightly. It was against the general practice in other parts of the Empire, but it was the Minister's opinion that in the long j run it would be wise. It was felt j that the sick and wounded should be i given treatment near their homes and j relatives and friends, and that would ! not have been possible had special hospitals been established at a few points.

The Government realised its policy would have a very great burden upon hospital boards and staffs, but he knew of no single instance in which a returned soldier in need of treatment had not been given the very best treatment it was possible to give. It had been necessary, of course, to establish certain highly-specialised institutions, but generally civilian hospitals had met in a magnificent manner the requirements of the services, and that notwithstanding the acute shortage of staff.