AFTER-CARE WORK

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10963, 27 July 1921, Page 5

AFTER-CARE WORK

I REPATRIATION DEPARTMENT. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. TRAINING THE T.B. MEN. j The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister ! for Repatriation, issued an interesti ing statement to-day re the work of i the after-care branch of his > department in looking after the T.B. men. I During the past year a special aftercare officer had personally interviewed j 1765 chest cases, of which 1009 had , been medically examined, 55 sent into sanatoria, 54 into hospital, 375 made out-patients of hospitals, 29 trans- ■ ferred to more suitable surroundings ! and living conditions, 793 houses .had been inspected. A'thorough search had been made throughout the Dominion ; far returned soldiers with chest trouble, having them medically examined bo see whether special sanatorium treatment was required, but only 55 such cases bad been found. Efforts,had also been made with considerable success to tram men unable ’ to follow their pre-war calling, in light outdoor work. The Repatriation Farm at Tauheirenikau already trained 124 men in market gardening, bee culture, ’ poultry-farming, and fifty were still under instruction {here. It was claimed to be probably the only farm in the ' world apart from a sanatoria whose work was only curative, where men 1 were trained so they could subsequently follow up the occupation taught on farm lets provided by the Lands and Repatriation Departments. The men were also successfully trained in bootmaking, outside plumbing, motor-driv-ing, carpentering, and painting. Up to the present the only real failure haa been in motor-driving. One of the greatest successes was in the Wellington district, where a man had 2000 fowls under his charge and 35 acres of land. The department was proud of the fact that no T.B. men were out of employment. He paid a tribute to the work done, also to the Defence, Pensions, and Lands; Departments.