COMBATING TUBERCULOSIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20426, 30 November 1929, Page 14

COMBATING TUBERCULOSIS.

ACTIVITY IN THE SOUTH.

THE MINISTER ON TOUR f

[Bj: TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] OAMARU, Friday. The Minister of Health, Hon. A. J. Stiillwortjiy,. to-day visited, the Waipiata Sanatorium,' where ho met the 119

patients of both Mr. Matheson, chairman * 'of the 'Southland Hospital Board,; aaid of-the-Sanatoria Committee, ■warm3y ; welcomed the Minister and. paid, a generous compliment to him upon the industry and human Interest he had shown in'his work. , . .

.The Waipiata Sanatorium, which is ad--ministered by a special committee for a

group-of hospital, boards, is increasingly successful, both on the medical and administrative sides." -The cures over the period ofj-six years' operations are-giyen as. SO pe:r cent, of patients admitted for

treatment* The" patients are first examined . by. the - doctors of the respective hospital- boards,; and then sent to ; the Waipiata institution. Each constituent board s district is allocated a. proportionate number of beds. At present "the Ashburtou district, is not occupying' its quota of beds. The excellent co-opera-tion of the medical profession in that district is helping, materially to stamp out the tuberculosis"scourge in that locality! The ..sanatorium superintendent, Dr. Kidd, assured the Minister that, with'the closest co-operaition of the medical profession "and the hospital boards, 1 linked with the Health Department, tuberculosis could be successfully combated. He also Warmly endorsed the Christmas seal campaign against tuberculosis and the proposal to extend children's health camps throughout New Zealand. '

The Minister said Jie expected the special" stamps to be on sale at all post offices in the Dominion.at the beginning of next month. He was delighted at the all-round excellence of the Waipiata institution and warmly complimented Dr Jvidd. and his staff.

Yesterday/ the Minister laid the foun-aatiorj-stqno of the Mauiototo Hospital at Ranfurly.