COTTAGE HOSPITALS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue 13049, 11 January 1917, Page 3

COTTAGE HOSPITALS.

NEEDS' OF THE BACKBLOCKS. MINISTER. ON THE SUBJECT. (Special- to the Press.) Wellington, January 10. 'T think the time is coming when, in the interests of our hospital staffs, we slioukl endeavor to establish a superannuation fund for doctors and nurses," said the Hon. G. W. Russell at the Hospitals Conference to-day. "The effect- of superannuation schemes in the Government service has been gopd in every way," he added. He hoped to take up the matter after the war, and he hoped the conference would support him. Mr Russell said he desired to establish maternity wards in connection with alj our hospitals to cheapen the cost of parentage for many people. His scheme would not apply to towns where there were St. Helens Homes. He hoped hospital boards would arrange for this. It was a State responsibility, and the boards should be repaid by the State. The Minister went on to say that he wondered if far distant country- districts were receiving their due in view of the large sums of money they were compelled to raise. He had no objection to strong efficient base hospitals, but he could not- shut- his eyes to the fact that there were cases where people in the backblocks got very little assistance from those institutions, although they were rated' for their upkeep. He asked the conference to consider whether it would not be desirable to establish more cottage hospitals in charge of capable nurses that- would often render a long journey unnecessary. A delegate: The difficulty is to get the nurses. Mr Russell: We must- train them. Another delegate: They won't practice in the country.

Mr Russell: My experience is thatyou can get anything you want- if you are prepared to pay for it. He was referring particularly to the backblocks of the North Island, miles from the railways, where they had to put patients on horses and thus convey them long distances or had to carry people long distances. If they wanted' the class of people all wished to see on the land, they must provide out of the funds of the State some of the comforts of life.