MATERNAL MORTALITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20495, 21 February 1930, Page 14

MATERNAL MORTALITY.

NEED OP IMPROVEMENT.

MOVE IN DOMINION^

CHAIR OF OBSTETRICS.

THE APPEAL FOR £25,000. "Do you know that there are 74 babies born in New Zealand overy day, and that every two or three days a mother dies as a direct result —a mortality rate of 4.75 per 1000?" asked Sir Carrick Robertson last evening, in a broadcast appeal from station IYA on behalf of the campaign to raise £25,000 for tho endowment of a Chair of obstetrics at tho Otago University Medical School. The appeal was directod chiefly to tho women of tho Auckland Provinco, who aro being asked to subscribe £6500 to make up tho Auckland quota, of £7500. Tho teaching of medicine, said Sir Carrick Robertson, was divided under three main headings, medicine, surgery and midwifery. At Otago University aU three subjects were well taken caro of. Medicino and surgery had each a professor, but for midwifery there was only a lecturer at a very small emolument. It would, therefore, bo understood that tho status or "mana" of tho subject was not likely to stand high in tho eyes of tho students, " A Major Subject." "That this is regrettable, to put it mildly, will bo obvious to all women and to all men who honour women," said Sir Carrick. "Surely no subject in tho medical curriculum should bo . taught with moro enthusiasm than that of safely bringing a mother and child through what must always bo a trying and dangerous time. Unless this subject is treated and taught so as to create an interest and enthusiasm as great as in the sister subjects of medicine and surgery, it will not make that impression on the young ancj plastic mind of the medical student that wo aro entitled to think it should. Only by insisting that it is a major subject will theso futuro medical men and women havo that interest in this particular branch of their work that will load to improvements and jpsearch in the conduct of maternity cases." Tho New Zealand matornal mortality rata of 4.75 per 1000 compared favourably with that of tho United States, which was 6.9, but unfavourably with that of Denmark, which was only 2.36. In Denmark tho teaching of obstetrics was very much more thorough and prolonged than in any British country, and it was reasonable to suppose that this accounted for tho low death-rate. "Why cannot we emulate theso figures hero?" ho asked. "Our baby mortality is the lowest in the world; lot us mako tho maternal mortality tho same!" Preservation of Health. Tho more highly-trained tho doctors, tho better was tho prospect of lessening not only the death-rate, but the mother's chances of ensuing illness or permanent disability. This latter was equally as important as the death-rate, for if tho mother of the family was riot in good health how could thero be that happiness in tho homo which was essential to tho well-being of the nation, Some of tho illnesses and disabilities he had referred to were unavoidable, but it was natural to hopo that through tho fruition of tho scheme avoidable illness would be much reduced. Some of the unavoidable causes of maternal illness would havo suflicient light thrown upon thorn to put them in tho avoidablo class.; Tho New Zealand Obstetrical Society, which had initiated the appeal for funds, felt that now was the time to act. In tho first place, the present lecturer in obstetrics was to retire in a few months; in the second, tho Government had decided to build, in connection with the Dunedin Hospital, a modern lying-in hospital of 40 beds at a cost of £50,000. Improved Training.

The hospital would enable all the medical students at tho university to receivo at some time during their studentship a practical training in the subject much in advance of what had been given hitherto. Nevertheless the hospital, however splendid and well-equipped, would not in itself bo enough for a teaching school. There must be in charge of it a man who had tho time, ability and personality to give the lead in tho right direction to the student seoking a thorough grounding in tho subject. It was also hoped that ho would be a" man capable of creating a lifelong enthusiasm in his pupils. It was tho opinion of thoso best nblo to judge that tho appointment should be a whole-time one, and that the new professor' 3 energies should be devoted entirely to tho teaching of students and to research work. In order to get a man of outstanding merit, tho society wished to raise a fund which, together with tho Government grant, would guarantee an income of £2OOO a year—the same as was paid to similar professors in Sydney and Alelbourne. It was felt, that anything less would not attract tho light stamp of man. In order to do this a fund of £25,000 was required. On a population basis tho Auckland province would bo expected to find £7500. Already £IOOO had been promised; tho rest, it was hoped, would bo raised by subscriptions of Is and upward from tho women of the province. Opportunity to Assist. Apart from Government grants, the University of Otago had never before received money from outside Otago itself. Auckland now had a chance to show its appreciation of tho splendid work that, had been done for years in tho medical school by making impossible for tho university to pay an adequato salary to a tcachor of tho oldest branch of medicine. This most important subject must be allowed no longer to remain tho Cinderolla of the medical school. 110 trusted that what he had said would enable the women of tho Auckland province to sco clearly tho urgent necessity for founding the now clfair, and that they would show their earnestness and generosity accordSubscriptions may bo sent to either tho honorary treasurer, Mrs. Alfred Kind, Hounslow, Gillies Avenue, Epsom, oi' tho honorary secretary, Lady Robertson.