'FLU EPIDEMIC

Grey River Argus, 31 July 1940, Page 12

'FLU EPIDEMIC

IN TERRITORIAL CAM?-

100 ADDINGTON CASES.

CHRISTCHURCH, July 30

Between 90 and 100 military patients, principally from the Territorial camp at Addington, have been admitted to hospital at Burwood with mild influenza.

Sir Hugh Acland, Assistant-Direc-tor of Medical Services, said that the number from Addington was about 15 per cent of the total in camp there, but a fair amount of influenza was natural at this time, and the outbreak was causing him no anxietj. There wa s no hospital at Addington, and consequently every man oil sick from the camp there had to be sent to the city or to Burwood. NGARUAWAHIA HOSPITAL WARD AT SCHOOL. HAMILTON, July 29. The transformation of the new Hamilton West School into an annexe of the Waikato Hospital was completed when tlie classrooms were converted into wards and provision was made for the accommodation of 100 patients. Another 40 soldiers were admitted to the hospital, bringing the number for three days up to nearly 120. As a result of the Influenza outbreak at Ngaruawahia, the number of occupied beds at the Waikato Hospital has reached the unprecedented total of 517, as against the normal average of 380. The men who have been in hospital a few days are making a good recovery and there are no serious cases.

The chairman of the board, Mr F. Findlay, stated to-day that the board was making arrangements for the erection of a temporary isolation ward of 50 beds.

Four N.Z. Troops RETURN FROM CAPETOWN.

WELLINGTON, July 30. Four New Zealand soldiers, all Aucklanders, who went overseas with the Second Echelon, have arrived at Wellington. They were taken ill aboard the troopships and landed at Cape Town for hospital treatment, and remained there for four weeks, before making the passage to New Zealand. “W e don’t know what’s going to happen at the moment, but we expect to go overseas later,” said one. “Oh boy! What a surprise i s in store for our people in Auckland. They have no idea we are back.”