PUBLIC HEALTH.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 10 August 1928, Page 5

PUBLIC HEALTH.

EPIDEMICS) AMONG THE MAORIS

MINISTER DISCUSSES DENTAL CLINICS.

(By Tel€£raph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 9. The interrupted debate on the annual report of the Public Health Department was resumed in the House ol Representatives to-day by. Sir A. Ngaita, who spoke of the prevalence ol m-fiue-nza. amongst the Maoris, which had caused a great number of deaths. He urged that there should be an emergency staff to attend to such outbreaks as that- which recently overran the northern district of- New Zealand. This care of the native- race® -was called the “white Maori burden.” The Maori had not asked the ipakeha, to take up this burden, but the white man having taken it- up, the Maori did not want him to drop it suddenly, which he feared the Health Department was disposed to do. " , , The Minister, in reply, declared that in the matter ol dental clinics New Zealand was doing more than any other country in the world, but they could not do- everything ait once. Slo far as the training of nurses was concerned they were pressing forward as fast as possible with, the means at their disposivl. .He would not il>© smtisired until they were training at least fifty nurses a year, but if the House was prepared to support the Government in this matter he- hoped to be' ablfe in a few years t 0 overtake the requirements- of the Dominion. He also reminded- members that it was futile that they should de-n-ounce expenditure and advocate reductions- in taxation while- at the same time demanding increased social services. . . . Discussing the constitution ol: hospital boards, the Minister declared himself against any change. If the hospitals were made absolutely free at w-iuid cost the country at least- £1,000,000 more. In addition to this extra cost he was satisfied oertaiia of the present sources of revenue would dry up, to say nothing of the demands that would come in for hospitals in all directions. He therefore saw no prospect of absolutely free hospitals to replace |the present -system which, he thought, 'was working quite well. ~ 1 Hie report was laid on the table and ordered to be printed.