Maternify Services in Dominion

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 165, 15 July 1938, Page 5

Maternify Services in Dominion

Difficulty of New Hours Regulation

HOUSE DISCUSSES REPORT OF COMMITTTEE Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. In the House this afternoon tne discussion on the report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Maternity Services was taken. Moving that the report be referred to the Government for consideration. Dr. McMillan said one could not but admire the efficiency and thoroughness with which the Minister of Health (Hon. P. Fraser) had carried out his portfolio. Dr. McMillan then proceeded to deal at length with various sections or' the Committee’s report. He stated that it had become apparent to the Committee that there was an increasing tendency on the part of women to avail themselves of the services of maternity hospitals throughout the Dominion in preference to bearing infants in their own homes. There was also an increasing tendency for them to have the services of both a doctor and a nurse and not just a midwife. A more efficient service could be rendered in cases where both a doctor and nurse were present than in those in which only a midwife was in attendance, and an even better service could be given in a properly-equipped maternity hospital. Dr. McMillan stated that modern methods of giving optimum pain relief necessitated supervision by a doctor, and it was also easier to make provision in hospitals for the working of reasonable hours by nurses than in some instances where maternity nurses were in charge of cases at their own homes or at the homes of their patientß. He went on to refer to the services which maternity hospitals were, giving the community, and stated that in practically all maternity hospitals visited by the Committee the nurses owning them were receiving only their bare living. They were doing good service and he considered they were entitled to a larger subsidy from hospitals. Dr. McMillan stated that he did not think the conditions laid down were very onerous and, contrary to the contention that the regulations would create a shortage of nurses, they were designed to increase the number of nurses taking up maternity work. Under present' conditions, he said, young nurses very often refrained from entering maternity services on account of tho long hours of work necessitated, and, he thought, one of the marked results of the reduction in hours would bo that more nurses w 7 ould enter this service. The regulations came into force in September and he thought he could give an assurance that the Minister would not be too strict in his interpretation of regulations where cases of emergency arose. The hours provided were 48 per week. Mr. S. G. Holland: That includes meal hours as well, doesn’t it2 Dr. McMillan: Yes. Nurses are human like ourselves and require some time for their meals. Mr. Holland: I did not mean what the honourable gentleman evidently thinks I meant. 1 merely was inquiring if the 48 hours included the meal hours. Dr. McMillan: I’m sorry I misinterpreted what the honourable member thought. Continuing, Dr. McMillan added that probably tho most valuable part of the Plunket work was that which went under the heading of inothercraft. Speaking of the relief of pain in childbirth, Dr. McMillan said tho Committee realised that optimum relief was not being given in public institutions and it was obvious that under the present conditions poorer women were not receiving as much pain relief as the better-off women.

Mr. T. H. McCoombs said he agreed that the Committee’s suggestion that the Government should inaugurate a Young Women’s Domestic Help Bureau was a good one and he also agreed with the finding of tho Committee that there should be resident house surgeons in maternity hospitals to give mothers optimum pain relief. He agreed with the chairman that outside doctors should be allowed to send their patients to maternity hospitals and attend them there themselves. He commended the Minister for his foresight in making investigation before deciding on his policy. Mr. W. T. Anderton said the report of the committee must be regarded with satisfaction because it meant the commencement of a wholehearted effort to improve a service which was the most important in the Dominion. Mr. C. H. Burnett urged the necessity of making provision for the native population in the Bay of Plenty area. He was chiefly concerned about their health. He referred to native housing as a very serious problem and said although the Government had done a great deal to improve the position much remained to be done. Mr. C. L. C. bexton stressed the importance of the population being constantly increased by young people upon whom the success of most of the schemes for the future depended. He could not conceive any worse condition than a community with an undue proportion of elderly people. Mr. J. Hodgens said reference was made in the report- to old and inconvenient hospital buildings and he ex pressed regret that the past Government had seen fit to reduce the hospital grant by some £200,000 during the slump years. He was certain that the present Government would leave no stono unturned in making provision for bringing hospital buildings up to date and that there be no quetsion of economy at the expense of mothers as had obviously been the case with the past Government.

Mr. J. Hargest, referring to the National Government’s reduction in the hospital grant, said no one on the other side of the House would dare to say he had evidence that any mother or child

• had suffered in the nursing service in a hospital as the result of that economy which the previous Government had found necessary during the slump four years ago. He considered the committee’s report a very interesting one and it should serve as a splendid historical record of the conditions of maternity hospitals in 1937. Moreover, it should prove of inestimable value to the Minister of Health. Continuing, Mr. Hargest expressed tho opinion that an insufficient number of maternity nurses were being trained to meet the requirements throughout the Dominion. In Invercargill several maternity homes had appealed to the Health Department to assist them in securing the services of maternity nurses but had been unable to obtain thorn. It was a position which the Minister of Health would have to face up to when the hours of work regulations for nurses came into force in September. He urged the Minister to defer bringing the hours of work regulations into operation until he was certain they would cause no grave disability to the licensees of private maternity hospitals. The Minister of Health (Hon. P. Fraser) thanked the chairman and members of the committee for the valuable work they had done and he said he wished to support the tribute which the committee paid to the valuable services of maternity hospitals throughout the Dominion. With regard to the small income of licensees of maternity hospitals the Minister added t*lat when the Government’s proposed social legislation came into effect it was hoped the income of those hospitals would be more assured than over before. He said he would be very sorry to see the introduction of and regulations stultifying the efforts of these hospitals. Mr. Fraser admitted that there was a temporary shortage oi nurses in New Zealand due to a number of reasons, but speaking of the hours of work regulations he would ask the honourable member for Awarua if he objected to the hours °f nurses being reduced to a reasonable number. Mr. Hargest: No, but I think the institutions concerned should be given proper time to make provision for the application of the regulations. Mr. Fraser: I am glad that the honourable member agrees. Tho second part of his reply may be taken for granted. The Minister continued that abnormally long hours were not good for anyone. He assured Mr. Hargest that tho position with regard to the Invercargill maternity hospitals would be thoroughly investigated and if it were found that a disability were being created every step would be taken to adjust the regulations to meet the requirements. Keen as he was to make the conditions easier for nurses it would be ridiculous, and he was sure the nurses would agree, that anything should be done at the expense of the mothers. The Minister said he took it the whole House would agree that nurses should have reasonable hours as their health was of the greatest importance. In conclusion, Mr. Fraser paid tribute to the work ot the late Sir Truby King and said there was uo fear about the future of the Plunket Society. Mr. XV. A. Bodkin said tho necessity for making adequate maternity provision was recognised by everybody as a first duty of the State and he joined with other members in commending the committee for the value of its report. It was gratifying to find that the committee had found in every part of the Dominion conditions that suggested in tht= main that adequate provision had already been made. It was quite evident that New Zealand had a hospital service of which it could be proud. Difficulties had to be contended with in remote country districts, largely on account of the sparcity of settlement and tho difficulties of transport. Mr. Neilson discussed the hospital services in Dunedin and said he agreed with the report that hospital nurses should have more pay. He felt sure that if greater remuneration were offered they would stand a better chance of getting girls to enter the nursing service. He also considered that the offer of better wages and greater opportunities for recreation would assist in solving tho problem of lack of domestic assistance.

Mr. XV. J. Poison agreed with previous members that the report was a very valuable one. He instanced several cases of hardship occurring in maternity cases in the backblocks and urged that tho Government should give some, measure of assistance in these cases. The Womens* Division of the Farmers’ Union handled just such a class of work but was handicapped on account of lack of funds, and he suggested that the Government might supplement the funds of the Women’s Division and also of the Plunket Society to enable them to supply a nurse-housekeeper service to country people. Mr. J. Robertson advocated the use of every up-to-date facility in homes in rural areas to eliminate domestic drudgery. This, he contended, would alleviate to a large extent the present shortage of domestic assistance. Mr. C. A. Barrell discussed conditions among the Maoris and contended that some maternity cases among the Maoris were a disgrace to the country. The debate was adjourned at 10.19 p.m.