GENERAL CONFERENCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 576, 14 June 1913, Page 2

GENERAL CONFERENCE.

Aft9r the Health Campaign throughout the Dominion the moat important event in the annals of the society was the general conference of representatives from the branches, old and new, in conjunction with the Health Department, which tooL place in Christchurch last month. At this meeting, which was attended throughout by the Chief Health Officer, much important business was transacted. The constitution of the Society was confirmed, and the pre-existing rules and instiuc- ; tions for the guidance of Plunket j nurses were co-ordinated and rlassi- : fied. These are about to be issued in pamphlet form. RELATIONSHIP OF THE SOCIETY TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. The financial position of the society was placed upon a stable footing, and its relationship to the Department of Public Heatlh was clearly defined as follows, in conjunction with the Chief Health Officer: — (1) That the funds of the Society shall be subsidised at the rate of 24s in each pound of the Society's fund subscribed up to £IOO for each Plunket nurse appointed. A similar subsidy shall be paid on other sums collected for this purpose, provided only one claim for such subsidy is made during each financial year. (2) That the above subsidy shall be procurable through the mechanism of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board of the district in which the main work of the particular nurfie will be carried on. (3) That the provisions of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act are availed of, not at all from the point of view of "charity," but with a cltar recognition of the fact that the functions of the Society, while broadly "humanitarian."are not "patronising or charitable," nor even in the ordinary Bense "philanthropic," but essentially patriotic and educational." (4) That it is in the highest interests of the State that this form of education shall be free, and that, as far as possible, every woman in the Dominion shall be induced to avail herself of th 9 services offered by the Society with a view to the betterment of the race, the recipient herself being always regarded as a potential health advocate and teacher. The only stipulations which the Health Department suggested with regard to the Government subsidies allowed to the local branches of the Society were: — (1) That the branches of the Society adopt a uniform system of accounts, the balance-sheet of each branch to be submitted to the Department within three months of the 31st March, the end of the Government financial year. (2) That any proposal of the Society to form additional branches be referred to the Department. (3) That the names of nurses whom it is proposed to appoint for training with a view to Plunket-nursing be submitted to the Department for approval. (4) That the monthly reports of the Plunket nurses be submitted to the District Health Officer. It was pointed out by Dr Valintine that if a Plunket nurse "aportsd that infantile diarrhoea was specially prevalent in a particular area the District Health Officer, 'being in touch with all the dairies in the district, might be able to put his finger on a weak spot in the local milk supply, and thus render great assistance in checking the epidemic. RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT CONFERENCE. The following resolutions were passed unanimously : i (1) That an effort be made to extend and co-ordinate the principle of quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly conferences, with representatives of the various humanitarian and philanthropic societies, with a view to further co-operation. The question of overlapping was raised, hut it was abundantly demonstrated that there had been no overlapping in the work done by the Society's nurses. (2) That further measures be concerted with a view to maintaining a:.d promoting esprit de corps conformity, unity, and harmonous working and de velopment throughout the various branches of the Society. (3) In reference to the decision of the Conference to have all the branches represented on the Central Council, it was agreed as follows: That a special meeting of the Central Council should be held every six months in Dunedin, at which delegates representing the different societies would attend to discuss matters brought forward by any of the branches, such questions to be subj mitted in Writing to the special secretary of the Council before the first, week in December of each year. (4) That further representation be made to the Government as to the desirability of legislation, or other pubile measures, in the direction of preventing the use of the long-tube feeder, and discrediting the dummy. (Dr Valintine said he would endeavour to have a clause prohibiting the sale of long-tube feeders inserted in the Food and Drugs Act). (5) That representations be made to the authorities of the various hospitals, with a view to inducing them to further avail themselves of the services of the Plunket nuraes, in order to ensure suitable home after-care of infants discharged from such institutions. (Dr Valintine said the suggestion was an excellent one. When mothers and their infants came out of hospital, there was no guarantee that the treatment would be followed up.) (6) The following resolution, which was carried unanimously was the outcome of a suggestion that Plun-

ket nurses, especially in country I places, might undertake work beyond what was contemplated in the rules and regulations of the Society, at the option of the local committees: — That, in the opinion of the conference, the value of the services of the Plunket nurse to the Dominion for the special educational health mission and services, for which she is appointed, would tend to become narrowed and | restricted, in the direction oE personally helping and ministering to a cotnI paratively few persons in the way of maternity nursing or for the emergencies of disease or accident, if any indication were given that such matters came within the potential sphere of her duties. Further, that it would be highly undesirable to leave these vitally important considerations to local decision and ruling, because such a policy would place, not only the committees, but their advhers, doctors, and others in an invidious position, when asked, in response to local pressure, to say whether or not, in their opinion, the nurse's services should be held available away not embraced in the essential nature and spirit of the constitution and intentions of the Society, but in a direction that- would be welcome to, and appreciated by certain persons or their friends who might personally benefit thereby. In reply to a question from Rotorua asking whether, as the centre was a small one and the district scattered, their Plunket nurse might act as a maternity nurse in an emergency, it was decided that in the case of Rotorua a special extension of the nurses' sphere of work be permitted in that she may attend maternity cases, with the provision that she is not to be regarded as a maternity nurse except for the purpose of tiding over an emergency, and, that she h not to remain with the patient for more than 24 hours. The nurse to keep a record of all such cases, and the committee to submit a report at the Conference to be held in Wellington next year. It was unanimously agreed that the service of the Plunket nurse in her special educational health mission be available gratis to any member of the community whether rich or poor, as heretofore. At the same time it was considered right that parents who can afford to pay for help should continue to be given the chance of doing so, and should, if necessary, be tactfully reminded that it is open to them to make a donation to the Sociey's funds in appreciation of services rendered; further, that if they are not already members, they can become so.