THE PLUNKET SOCIETY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20309, 17 July 1929, Page 13

THE PLUNKET SOCIETY.

TWENTY-ONE YEARS' WORK.

URGENT NEED OF FUNDS. SERVICE TO COMMUNITY. Twenty-one years' work by the Plunket Society were reviewed by Mrs. W. H. I Parkes. president of the Auckland branch, j at the annual meeting in the Lyceum | Club rooms last evening. Miss E. Mel- { ville presided over a large attendance, j A bouquet, was presented to Mrs. Parkes !by Lady Sinclair J.ockhart., in apprecia- | (ion of her services on behalf of the society. Refermig to the growth of the branch, Mrs. Parkes said that in 1903 there was | one Plunket nurse in Auckland with 250 I mothers under her car*. In 1529 there ! were 13 nurses and 92.523 visits were paid by parents to headquarters or suburban I offices. in addition, nurses paid 15.556 j j visits to homes, and women paid 2563 j visits to the pre-natal clinics. The rei suits achieved had exceeded the most ] sanguine expectations, j " While we can review the past with | satisfaction and thankfulness, the future ; provides a problem of grave concern inj asmueh as the demands made upon the ! society are infinitely beyond what we can cope with." Mrs. Parkes said. Great Strain on Hurses. " As an instance of our difficulty it may j be mentioned that in one suburban district the Plunket nurse is called upon to deal with an average of 100 visits and consultations daily. Sir Truby King has expressed the opinion that 45 cases daily is the limit any nurse should attempt to deal with. To relieve such strain, which applies also to other districts, Sister Goulstone, who is in charge of headquarters, has to leave her duties and assist as an emergency nurse." There was one nurse to every 9000 of the population in Wellington, but in | Auckland the proportion -was only one to oven' 16.000. In October last the branch took over the entire charge of the Health Department's pre-natal clinic established at headquarters. Attendances Cad increased considerably. When the society took over the clinic one nurse attended ! half a clay a week; now two nurses were |in attendance every day. This naturally I reduced to a number of nurses available j for other work, and it was small wonder that they broke down under the strain. " I can assure you the position has ] become most acute and is a cause of keen jj anxiety to the committee, inasmuch as we are helpless without a bigger income," continued Mrs. Parkes. The community would agree the work would have to go on. but more money would have to be found to meet an all-important need. Cost of Society's Service. The cost of the society's service to the community was about £3500 a year. The annual Government, subsidy was £I7OO, and the society had to find £2200 by voluntary subscriptions. Considering the fact that, Auckland's population was rapidly neanng 200.000 it was not too much to expect that, this amount should be contributed annually. Hie society could not relax its efforts. It- had to supply nurses to meet the urgent demand. Although the financial year had ended with a credit balance the society would be working on a hank overdraft. at. the end cf this month until such time as financial assistance was forthcoming. " Year after year I come before you in the unenviable capacity cf a beggar and I would like to take this opportunity of thanking ail who have so generously responded to my appeals." Mrs. Parkes said. ' 'Having now attained my majority j as a Plunket servant I am emboldened to make a special appeal for the wherewithal to meet this crisis in our history, j I am confident that the public of Auckland, realising the dire necessity for funds, •will show its appreciation of what has been accomplished by a noble and generous response." Sir Truby King's Great Fight. Dr. E. B. Gunson. honorary physician to the Karitane Hospital, congratulated the society t»n attaining its majority and referred to the great work of Sir Truby King, its founder. "In the early days of the society Sir Truby King fought a great battle," Dr. Gunson said. "He had to fight public opinion and no little criticism from the ranks of his own profession. Now he has succeeded, surely beyond his wildest hopes." Words were inadequate to describe the influence of the society upon the country's youth. Among its great achievements had been its fostering of the maternal instinct, without which it must have failed. This instinct had been appealed to not only among young mothers, but also in the hospitals and among the nurses and its importance could not be too strongly emphasised. It. was interesting to note that mere was spent upon patients in the Auckland Hospital in one week than upon the whole of the Plunket Society in one year. The work <~>f the hospital had to be maintained, | but its expenditure was out of ail proj portion when the work of the society was considered. Dr. Gunson appealed for greater support of the society's work and said a special effort should be made this year to render it the assistance so urgently needed. Increasing the Donations. Mr. R. A. Laidlaw also congratulated the society upon its work during the past 21 years. He said it should not be satisfied until donations had increased from the present total of about £llOO to £2500. Short addresses upon the work of the society were given bv Miss L. B. Goulstone. charge nurse at headquarters, and Miss V. MacLcan, matron at the Karitana 'Hospital. A resolution was passed urging the City Council to permit the Plunket Day collection to be recognised as an annual event, irrespective of the ballot. "For a work of such national importance. I hardly think we are asking too much," Mrs. Parkes said. Reference to the work of Mrs. Parkes was made by Sir George Fowlds and a vote of thanks for her efforts on behali of the society was passed, amid applause. Retiring office-bearers were ail reelect,ed. the following being added to the committee.—Mesdames E. C. K. Dawson, A. St. Clair Brown, R. Towle, Schrubsell and Evans. The financial position was subsequently discussed at a meeting of the advisory commit! ee, which accepted a proposal by which the society will receive the assistance of a collector by whom a systematic canvass for subscriptions will be made.