TUBERCULOSIS CASES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 3, 1 December 1944, Page 5

TUBERCULOSIS CASES

POSITION ON WPIST COAST. Tentative figures placed before _ a meeting of the Western Hospital Districts Joint Sanatorium Committee, in Palmerston North, this week, show that there are 267 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis already medically classified in respect of children between the ages of five and 12 years in the committee's area. In adults, the figure has reached the alarming number of 1076. The figures are for both white and Maori people living on the west coast of the North Island, and several hospital boards operating in the area between Palmerston North, New Plymouth and Taumarunui have combined to attack the disease.

Regarding children, 20 Maori and 120 European would benefit from sanatorium treatment, it is stated. The report classifies the cases according to severity of infection and goes on to state that some of them would at one stage in their treatment require accommodation at the local hospitals. This means that in the area, in addition to the provision of a children's sanatorium, some 40 to 50 beds for children at the local hospitals would be required. One disquieting feature of the figures in respect of adults is the large number of Europeans requiring treatment in a sanatorium for some period of time, either short or long. There are 178 men and 140 women in this group. This shows that possibly up to 150 sanatorium beds are required for Europeans in the area, and if only one-third of the Maoris in the same category could be got to a sanatorium 80 of them would also be in the institution. Practically half the known cases of tuberculosis in persons over 12 years of age in the West Coast area are suitable for sanatorium treatment. MORE MEN AFFECTED.

The report adds that there is no reason to assume that tuberculosis is more rife in any one portion of the area than another, though it does appear that a larger number of 'men than women are affected in each district. It would seem that something over 7 per cent, of Maoris will eventually be shown to be" suffering from the disease while nearly four in every tOOO of Europeans are tuberculosis subjects. In the Palmerston North Hospital district the survey ehows that 56 men in every 10,000 are infected. As an average for the whole population along the west coast of the North Island, seven persons (including Maoris), in every 1000 are at present known to be suffering from tuberculosis, and it has to be remembered that mass X-ray examination of the female population in any age group has not yet been attempted. This may account for what appears to be the lower incident* among women as against men. The joint committee, which represents the Palmerston North, Wanganui, Tara naki, Hawcra. Stratford, Patca and Tat. marunui Hospital Boards, is anxious to see a sanatorium erected which will catei for the needs of tho area, and a sub-com mittee was set up to report on ways ana means. Meanwhile the be<=t use possible is to be made of the Otaki Sanatorium and local clinics.