TUBERCULOSIS CASES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 119, 21 April 1936, Page 9

TUBERCULOSIS CASES.

EFFECT ON NURSES. LOCAL BOARDSEXPERIENCE. Stating that many young probationer nurses were contracting tuberculosis, the Dominion executive of the AVomen’s Division of the Farmers’ Union, in a letter read before the . Palmerston North Hospital Board yesterday, urged that an investigation of the causes be made. Tlie medical superintendent (Mr J. H. North) when asked for his opinion, stated that since the hospital had been under his control no probationer or trainer nurses had been affected by tuberculosis and the statement made in the letter did not appear to represent the situation truly. The matter had received a great deal of publicity, but it was rather exaggerated, and such a position as had ben stressed did not exist. One or two hospitals might have been unfortunate with groups of cases. Probationer nurses were at an age when tuberculosis manifested itself, quite apart from any possible infection in hospital. Infectious cases were all treated in an annexe by specially trained and gowned nurses. There was always the risk of contracting diseases during hospital work, but the position locally was met quite adequately, The managing-secretary (Air A. J. Phillipps) stated that since 1923 the board had had only one cases of tuberculosis contracted by a nurse on its staff, and in this instance it was subsequently found' that there was a family history connected with tuberculosis. The risk of infection was much higher among school teachers and other groups than among nurses, and there were few cases which were not correlated with a family history of tlie disease. Any such position as had been complained of could he remedied by requiring all nursing applicants to undergo an X-rny examination, and by tightening up the medical examination before their admission. It was. decided to inform the AVo men’s Division of the board’s experience, and to state that under the circumstances it could not express an opinion. Mr J. Hodgens, ALP., inquired what ' was the experience with nurses in jhc Otaki Sanatorium. Tlie managing-secretary stated’ that there had be»n no cases among tbe staff of that institution during the three years that the board had had control of it.