LEPERS IN THE PACIFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19279, 18 March 1926, Page 13

LEPERS IN THE PACIFIC.

POLICY OF CONCENTRATION. MORE PATIENTS FOR MAKOGAI. TRANSPORT BY THE HINEMOA. rnr TFXEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] "WELLINGTON, Wednesday. By an arrangement lately concluded between the New Zealand Government, acting on behalf of the Cook Islands, and the Government of Fiji, the Fijian leper asylum at Makogai Island will receive in April or May the leper patients of the Cook Islands just as it has already received New Zealand, Western Samoan and Niuean patients. At about the pnd of April the Hinemoa will leave Auckland for Rarotonga and she will proceed thence to Mangaia and Aitutaki (Lower Cook Group), and afterwards to the Northern Cook group. The purpose of this itinerary is to collect between' 30 and 40 leper patients scattered through these islands and to convey them to Makogai Island.

The conveyance of these lepers to Makogai wilfmark a .further step in the policy of centralising the treatment of the lepers of New Zealand and lier Pacific dependencies and mandated territory, so that they may have all the advantages that centralisation affords. Co-operation in this vital matter between Fiji and other British possessions in the Pacific shows a practical anticipation of the general cooperation that has been advocated in principle by Dr. S. M. Lambert in his report to the "Rockfeller foundation. ' Dr. Lambert hopes to see a similar co-operation in the training of native medical practitioners.