THE PLUNKET SOCIETY: FORTY YEARS’ DEVELOPMENT

Grey River Argus, 19 May 1947, Page 7

THE PLUNKET SOCIETY: FORTY YEARS’ DEVELOPMENT

(By Mrs Jam’s Begg, Dominion president of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society). WELLINGTON, May 12. In a broadcast last night Mrs Begg stated: — Few people now remember the conditions that existed before the late Sir Truby King turned his attention to what was, in New Zealand at thattime, the very neglected field of infant welfare. A tragic event at the Seacilff Mental Hospital, of which he was superintendent —the death of an attendant, leaving a young widow with a recently born baby—was to have, under providence wonderful repercussions. Mrs King did her utmost to assist the poor young mother, but was dismayed at the lack of scientific information available on the feeding of babies. She urged her husband, who had been notably’ successful in rearing and scientifically feeding livestock at the mental hospital farm, to assist her. “Surely,” she said, “babies are more important than animals.”

From that momont, Dr. King turned his keen mind and ability for researchh to what was to become his great life work, a work that won him world-wide and royal recognition. His enquiries into infant nutrition and welfare brought to light shocking conditions of malnutrition and neglect among unfortunate, unwanted babies, boarded out with little supervision. The tremendous success of Dr. King’s methods, by which these tiny victims were restored to health, at-, tracted the band of devoted and generous friends who allegiance never wavered. They, with him, founded in Dunedin on May 14th., 1907, the society that was to achieve so much. The patronage and assistance of the Governro, Lord Plunket, and his wife, was a big help 1 to early success. The Plunket movement spread rapidly throughout New Zealand. The modest beginnings are recorded in the first anual report: three branches, employing three nurses, and one small hospital. Contrast that with the 1946 report, which shows an organisation with 75 branches and 340 sub-branches, employing 159 nurses, exclusive of the staffs of its six Karitane Hospitals. This is the growth of forty years, despite the handicap of two world ways and a world depression. None in the Plunket Society would claim that its efforts have been the only factor in the reduction of the infant death rate, which in 1907 was SO in every 1000 births. But it is instructive to note that as the society spread, and the number of its trained nurse? increased, the yearly loss of life decreased, until yast year the world record low level was reached with a European infant mortality rate in New Zealand of 25.35 deaths per 1000 live births. This will evoke widespread interest and applause and reflects the attention being directed by the Health Department, the Medical School, Hospital Boards, and not least, the Plunket Society, to this important matter. If the infant death rate had remained at the level of the early years of this century two thousand more babies would have died last year than were actually lost.

The Society lays great stress on education, regarding itself _ as an educational body and not in any sense as a charitable one. Plunket nurses consider their best educational work is done in the homes, helping mothers to make the best use of the conditions in which they have to rear their babies, which, is often very difficult in the present housing shortage. Parent groups are formed and mothers ’ clubs, enthusiastic groups of young parents who join together to buy 'and study the latest books on family welfare and to listen to talks by exports such as the Plunket nurses and trained home science and kindergarten lectures'. Through the education of mothers mans’- maladies of the past that took severe toll of infant life are practically unknown, and much permanent damage to health is prevented. The mothercraft work of the hospitals is regarded as very important. As well, hundreds of babies have been restored to health there, and muck. u expert care is devoted to infants' who might not otherwise survive. Some idea of the great service rendered to parents yearly is obtained from the figures for February—the shortest month of the year, when 45 premature babies were admitted to the hospitals, and 93 to the mothercraft sections.

The society maintains a Dominion Training Centre on the site of the first Karitane hospital at Anderson’s Bay, Dunedin. There is a post graduate course in Infant welfare and pre-S'chool child care is now given to more than 100 trained nurses annually. A hundred and fifty Karitane nurses graduate yearly from its six Karitane hospitals throughout the Dominion. Fifth year medical students attend lectures and demonstrations at the Dunedin Plunket Rooms and the Dominion Training Centre. Lectures are also given to domestic science and training college students' and to schoolgirls. The society is proud of its educational record, the results of which, through al] these varied activities, have now reached most .of the homes of the Dominion

War and its aftermath have also brought many problems, and where these affected mothers and babies, the Plunket Society has earnestly sought solution. We have approached different Government departments, and our requests have been met in a most friendly and co-operative spirit: our suggestions adopted wherever possible. AH shortages affecting the mothers and babies constantly engaged the society’s attention, as we realise how detrimental these constant anxieties are to the health and happiness of the family. The present famine of blankets, flannel and white wool that can be manufactured in New Zealand from our own wool can surely be overcome. War has caused many shortages, but not recently a shortage of babies, and the record number of 41,872 born last year is a matter for general rejoicing. They should have not only a welcome hut also a wardrobe awaiting them in a cold world of clothing and fuel shortages.

This sudden increase in the birthrate has caused what is generally known as the national maternity emergency. On being approached for help, the Plunket Society arranged that Karitane nurse trainees could

complete their training with two months in the nurseries of approved maternity hospitals under the supervision of a plunket trained nurse on the staff. In addition Plunket nurses in the cities volunteered to relieve the hard-pressed staffs in maternity hospitals in their own time on Saturdays. Karitane baby nurses were equally helpful; organising, through their Karitane Bureau, many of them are now helping in hospital nurseries. A swift response was recently made to a request from the Government to increase the number of nurses taken for the Plunket post-graduate course. Within eight months the usual 25 had been increased to 30 and four months later to 34. Three other hospitals co-operated most loyally to make this possible, and a Government grant was made available to provide temporary accommodation in these hospitals for Karitane trainees displaced at the Training Centre. For nearly 30 years, the wise counsel and dauntless energy of Sir Truby King inspired the work of the Plunket Society. Have those who inherited from him such a wonderful legacy been worthy of their trust? Have they moved with a changing world, and kept abreast, as he did, with the times? I must refer you to our records; since his death in 1935. At that time there were 68 branches employing 128 nurses. To-day there are 77 branches employing 160 nurses. The hospitals have not increased in numbers, but have in size. Then, 1273 infants and 62'1 mothers were accommodated yearly; in 1947, 1826 babies and 948 mothers were admitted.

The second world war followed closely on Sir Truby’s death, and some of the society’s nurses went overseas to serve their country. Others volunteered for peace service wifh UNRRA in Europe and China proving their worth and the value of their training in many stricken areas. In New Zealand the service carried on, ■ bringing comfort and help to many lonely young mothers. The rapidly rising birthrate since the war ended, and the worldwide shortage of nurses has placed a heavy burden on district and hospital staffs who are working at high pressure to overtake the calls for their services.

The priority of housing over other form of building is delaying the erection of Plunket Rooms by a number of branches with plans already drafted. The large new housing areas have created a problem as these areas were people', I mostly by parents of young families, and premises' for use as Plunket Rooms were unobtainable. This problem was solved by 1 hree city branches in an ingenious manner by the use of mobile units, used by the Army as optical clinics during the war, and converted into attractive Plunket Rooms. The thanks of the society are due to the Government, who provided half the purchase price, and to generous friends who donated the rest in two cases, while the third was dedicated as a Naval War Memorial with a fund provided by public subscription. These mobile Plunket Rooms operate most successfully in the outer suburbs, and create great interest with their compact fittings and attracitve appearance.

Finally, a word on the society’s hope? for the future. It is planned to expand the nursing service when nurses are available, and increase hospital accommodation. New Plunket Rooms are contemplated in many areas, with, it is hoped, flats for nurses in areas where accommodation is difficult to obtain. Expansion means increased expenditure, but our experience ha? been that wider service brings wider public support. We are grateful for the substantial increased subsidy recently granted by the Government in recognition of rising costs, particularly in salary increases. The society is proud of ; he confidence placed in it by successive Governments. The Plunket committees raise annually, throughout New Zealand more than £50,000 to maintain their work. This is not done without “toil and sweat,” in a very real conviction of the value of the service rendered to the mother and baby in particular, and the nation in general. As it enters its fifth decade, the Plunket Society dedicatees itself again to the work of Sir Truby King. That active mind, that indomitable energy in a frail, body; that great fighter, has paused away, but his spirit lives on in the society that he founded.