INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 3 June 1926, Page 5

INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC

NOTHING SEVERE LIKELY.

FINANCIAL ASPECTS.

HOSPITAL BOARDS’ POSITION.

(By Telegraph*—Special to the Star.) , WELLINGTON, June 3. The possibility ' of hospital board-9 'having to cope with an influenza epidemic of a severe type was discussed . at- the re-eent meeting of the Board of Health, and an opinion was expressed by the deputy-director of the department- that the Dominion was hardly likely to experience more than the usual mild seasonal trouble. The matter was brought forward in the first place by Mr Murdoch Fraser, the representative of the hospital boards on the Board of Health. He stated; that hospital boards had been circularised’ by the department recommending them to bo an readiness with hospital equipment, etc., to meet a possible outbreak of influenza. Mr Fraser asked whether the department could; furnish any more definite- statement regarding the possibility of sueli an outbreak. lie went on to point out . that, under the law as it now stood, hospital boards were only responsible for the treatment of disease, while loeai authorities were responsible for prevention of disease. If, therefore, any serious epidemlie befell tliecountry, hospital boards would! be called upon to provide temporary hospitals, etc., and to> foot the cost so far as 1 treatment of those who required’ hospital treatment, etc: It was difficult for hospital boards to face such additional expenditure because the. law required them to frame estimates of their expenditure at the beginning of the year, and they could not forsee such things as epidemics.. He asked whether some more definite information could not be supplied. Sir James Wilson spoke in a similar strain and asked that the Government should give an assurance that,, in the event of an epidemic occurring, the cost would' be borne by the Government, as was done in the ease of the 1918 outbreak. Sir Lindo Ferguson made the suggestion that hospital boards should be allowed, when framing their estimates at the beginning of the year, to include a sum for epidemie purposes, such sum to be held in reserve and to be used only for epidemic purposes.

■SERIOUS EPIDEMIC UNLIKELY.

As to the possibility of another out-* break of serious influenza, Dr Watt, Deputy Director-General of Health, in- • formed! t-lie board; tliat it -was impossible to state definitely -whether there would be another outbreak of serious .'influenza. The department, in edreularisiing hospital boards and; local authorities), was merely taking precautions., His own opinion “that we fwouldl no doubt experience the usual prevalence of seasonal- influenza of mild type, -but that there were no, .indications at the present time, to justify the conclusion -that a- serious epidemie -was about to break out. Dr Watt added that recent press reports of the influenza epidemic -In Melbourne and New .South Wales had been investigated by his department, and it ‘had been found that these referred to i local outbreaks of simple influenza. At the same time, the department was exercising the utmost vigilance. i The chairman of the board, the Hon. ,J. A. Young, Minister of Health, then dealt with the financial position of holspital' boards in the matter.. While he was not in a position to give any definite promise), - they could rest as- . sured that, in the event of any grave national emergency arising, such as a widespread epidemic, the Government would do the fair thing by hospital boards." As regards Sir Linde Ferguson’s suggestion that boards should 'be allowed, when framing their estimates, to- include a certain amount for ‘epidemic -purposes, it was impossible for the Government ito agree to a proposal of that kind. To allow boards to include in their estimates a sum over and above the. amount re•'quived under normal circumstances, would be, in. his opinion, wrong in principle. If they were faced with the position of having to combat an- ‘ other serious epidemic,, the position of hospital boards as set out by the vara'ous speakers- would not be overlooked.