YEAR OF PROGRESS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 227, 23 August 1940, Page 5

YEAR OF PROGRESS

CRIPPLED CHILDREN. WORK OF SOCIETY. AVELLINGTON, Aug. 23. The society had liad quite a successful year, the credit for which should go almost entirely to the branches, which did the real work of the society up and down the country, said the president (Mr F. Campbell) in moving the adoption of the annual report at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society. The year had shown a further increase of 700 in cases. Some new cases had been discovered and that number was steadily growing. That seemed to prove that, in the early days of the society, tho discovery of cases had not been anything like complete. The appointment of welfare officers had been most helpful, said Mr Campbell. They gave service to the crippled child and parents which should be considered by the branches as more in tho nature of treatment than of overhead expense. Another growing activity was boys’ arid girls’ clubs, and thanks were due to the Toe H authorities for their assistance. Seconding the motion, Dr. Leslie YVill (Canterbury and AVestland) said he had been interested to read in the report how the work of the society was tending to alter. With the exception of the discovery of cases, which was always important, the whole attitude seemed to have changed from treatment to rehabilitation, welfare work and employment. Those were now the main, function of the society. The conference spent most of . the morning discussing proposed amendments to the’rules of the society, and Mr W. G. Black (Palmerston North), chairman of the special sub-committee which framed the proposed new rules, took the chair. CLINICAL TREATMENT.

Tho relative merits of travelling clinics and an orthopaedic hospital in AVellington were discussed. Mr Campbell mentioned discussions which had been held with the Director-General of Health (Dr. M. H. AVatt), who had suggested the appointment of orthopaedic specialists as inspectors to the Health Department to attend the clinics, specially for hospital boards and various branches of the society. The war and the consequent shortage of suitably-trained men had held up the scheme, he said, but it was hoped to have it gone on with at somo early date. Mrs Knox- Gilmer (Wellington) asked for more information about the work of the travelling clinics. It was no use clinics going round the country finding new cases, she said, if the hospital boards could not accommodate them. Dr. AA 7 ill (Canterbury and Westland) said that in many of the intermediate hospitals, such as Timarw and Palmerston North, there were men who were highly trained and skilled surgeons. In many cases, all that was required of tho travelling clinic with a specialist at its head was for the specialist to be able to outline to the 6urgeon he could trust a course of treatment which from time to time the specialist could supervise. Mr Campbell said the society had never been against orthopaedic hospitals. “AVhat wc did fight against was the spending of the New Zealand society’s money for an orthopaedic hospital in AVellington.” A remit, ‘‘that the Wellington branch recommend an appeal to the Now Zealand executive to make a suitable contribution available for special orthopaedic hospital equipment, provided that the building of such an orthopaedic hospital as recommended by the Royal Commission be begun within 12 months from the date the offer is made,” was moved by the Wellington branch. It was altered and carried in the following form: “That this conference supports the AA’ellington branch in its efforts to obtain an orthopaedic hospital as recommended by the Royal Commission” and in this form was carried unanimously. OFFICERS ELECTED.

Tho election of office-bearers resulted: —Patroness, Lady Galway; executive, Sir Alexander Roberts, Dr. F. T. Bowerbank, Dr. Alexander Gillies, Messrs F. Campbell, J. M. A. llott, B. R. Dobbs (AA’anganui), AA r . G. Black (Palmerston North), S. L. P. Free (Masterton), M. Fraser and J. Iv. Edie (associate member); lion, solicitors, Messrs F. Campbell Spratt and H. Taylor; lion, treasurer, Mr AV. Hunt; hon. auditor, Mr AV. H. Nankervis; secretary, Mr G. Meachcn. The vicepresidents include Mr D. S. AA’ylie, F.R.C.S. ('Palmerston North).