MATERNITY FACILITIES FOR FOXTON

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 142, 17 June 1941, Page 6

MATERNITY FACILITIES FOR FOXTON

Recommendation by By Department of Health FEILDING ANXIOUS ABOUT ITS POSITION An inquiry from the Department of Health as to what steps the board proposed to take regarding the provision of maternity facilities for Foxton provoked a lengthy discussion, in which the claims of other parts of tho board’s district were also put forward, at yesterday’s meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board. The Department forwarded a report by Dr. T. L. Paget, Director of Maternal Welfare, concerning maternity facilities in Foxton, Levin and Feilding, and suggested that provision for Foxton should take precedence over the others, which at the present time were reasonably well catered for.

In his report, Dr. Paget said Feilding had two private hospitals, one providing six and tne other four beds, while Levin had a mixed hospital providing six maternity beds, and in his opinion neither of these towns required further facilities at the present time. Foxton, however, was entirely lacking in reasonable accommodation for maternity cases, and the need would be accentuated when the anticipated addition of 200 employees to flax and bag factories there took place. He recommended that the board be asked to make provision for a hospital providing live or six maternity ueds, and a room to which accident cases could be admitted prior to their removal to tho Palmerston North General Hospital and in which reasonable first aid could be given. The chairman (Mr. J. A. Nash) said he had heard suggestions that there should bo a cottage hospital at Foxton, but because Foxton was so close to Palmerston North that could not be thought of at present.

Foxton was an industrial town and was growing fast, said Mr. M. E. Perreau. A fair number of accidents occurred and required attention on the spot. Personally, he thought that sometning more than a maternity home should be established at Foxton and he intended to convene a public meeting at an early date to consider what was a burning question. People in Foxton would welcome Dr. Paget’s report. Replying to a question by Mr. A. E. Mansford, the managing secretary (Mr. A. J. Phillipps) said that the building of a maternity home for Foxton of the size suggested would cost £6OOO to £7OOO.

Mr. V. E. Smith complained that Dr. Paget had not given Feilding much of a chance. When Dr. Valentine had been Director-General of Health he had recognised that Feilding should have a maternity home and ho had promised one. Later a commission had investigated maternity facilities throughout New Zealand and had recommended that a homo should bo built in Feilding, but nothing had been done. Ho was now surprised to see in Dr. Paget’s report that Foxton was given preterence over Feilding, as the maternity facilities in Feilding wero insufficient. “Why a place like Foxton is picked out for preferential treatment over Feilding is beyond my understanding,” Mr. Smith declared. “Feilding has never had anything done for it by this board and won t while it is connected with the board. I suppose we will have to put jup with it and contribute to something !we get no benefit from.” Mr. Smith added that the maternity facilities in Feilding were so overtaxed that a patient had been asked to leave a home 12 hours after the birth of a child. The chairman (to Mr. Smith): Do you want that published ? Mr. Smith: I don’t care. It’s true. Mr. Nash said he thought it could be taken from Dr. Paget’s report that Feilding could be left alone for the present. “I don’t want to enter into a controversy between f oxton and Feilding, ’ ’ said Mr. Mansford, ‘ ‘ but it seems curious that it should 1 & suggested that Foxton should receive preierence. It means that a place which is not prepared to do any thing for itself would receive preference over a place which for years nas provided facilities in its own town. Because Foxton, this ‘industrial centre’ and ‘port of Palmerston North,’ has no facilities, tho whole of the hospital area is to be asked to provide £<jUUO to £7OUO. It seems extraordinary that those who are willing to help themselves are penalised. Personally l don’t see eye to eye with the report.” Mr. C. P. Jensen warned the board that an agitation was going on for further accommodation at Otaid.

Mr. Perreau: Mr. Smith made a nasty reference to Foxton when lie said “a piace like Foxton. ’ ’ Let me tell him it is more important than Feilding. 1 can 't see eye to eye with Mr. Mansiord. Foxton will be prepared to give a valuable section of land to the board, and it may be found that there is already a suitable building available without going to the expense of £0001) to £7O(JQ. l hope that now the matter has gone so far Foxton will receive favourable consideration from the boaid. Mr. Perreau added that tne commission which had investigated maternity facilities throughout New Zealand had reported that Foxton was the first place which should receive attention in the board’s district. The chairman told Mr. Smith it was a pity that the Feilding Borough Council had not gone on with the arrangement to provide a section of land; if it had, the matter might have been under way. Mr. Smith: I can’t let you get away with that. You can’t turn the fault on to the Feilding Borough Council. “Mr. Perreau says Foxton is an industrial centre,” Mr. Smith added, “but in Feilding we have a freezing works employing 400 to 500 men, a wool scouring works and other things too numerous to mention. ’ ’ Mr. J. Boyce: Mr. Smith loses sight of the fact that Feilding is only half the distance from Palmerston North that Foxton is. In reply to a question as to whether there was a building in Foxton which would be suitable for a maternity hospital, Mr. Phillipps said the building had not been built yet which was suitable for conversion. Mr. Boyco expressed the view that the country was getting too fussy about

such matters. In the old days things had gone along all right. Mr. X J hillix)ps: They lost more babies then.

“I don’t want ot make comparisons between different towns,” said Mr. G. A. Monk, ‘ ‘ out if you want a natural centre to serve Foxton, Levin, Shannon tftid Otaki, it is Levin. ’ ’ Mr. J. Hodgens, M.F., said it was difficult to know what to do. The report of the Government maternity commission made certain recommendations and Dr. Paget 's report did not correspond. The chairman suggested that lie, the managing secretary, the medical superintendent and the matron should visit various centres throughout the board's district and in consultation with members of the board resident in those areas, inspect the maternity facilities available and later report to the board. The meeting adopted the suggestion. Mr. Boyce asked whether it was definite that the board could not utilise an existing building. The chairman: We can investigate it. The discussion then lapsed.