Chest X-Ray Service For Seamen In And Out Of Lyttelton

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23247, 8 May 1950, Page 7

Chest X-Ray Service For Seamen In And Out Of Lyttelton

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 6. All hands and the cook on New Zea-land-register vessels calling at Lyttelton in future will be able to take advantage of a free chest X-ray service organised by the Health Department and the North Canterbury Hospital Board.

Details of the service, the only one of its kind in New Zealand, were announced today by the district industrial medical officer of the Health Department, Dr. I). P. Kennedy, who said that the department had received the full co-operation of various unions and organisations involved in planning the scheme. All officers and crew members on New Zealand ratings calling at Lyttelton may be X-rayed by making arrangements through the nurse in charge at the Lyttelton industrial health centre for the X-raying to be done at the Hospital Board’s chest clinic.

“The service is free and voluntary and we want as many seamen as possible to take advantage of it,” said Dr. Kennedy. “The X-ray information will be confidential and no third party will be involved unless tuberculosis notification is needed. In some cases a second X-ray may be needed for technical reasons and in these cases arrangements will be made for a second X-ray to be made at some other centre.”