RED CROSS WORK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17216, 19 January 1918, Page 11

RED CROSS WORK

AUXILIARY HOSPITAL OFFERED

FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS.

A deputation from tho Red Cross Society of Otago and Southland waited on tho Hon. Sir James Allen at tho Grand Hotel yesterday afternoon to offer tho Government an auxiliary hospital for returned soldiers in Dunodm, which the society is prepared to establish, equip, and maintain, and also undertake the financial responsibility. Tho deputation, which was introduced by Mr C. B. Statham, M.P., consisted of Mrs Butterworth, Miss Rattray, the Rev. Vincent King, and Measrs R. Conn, C. B. Smith, 33. Rosevear, J. E. Bone, and R. W. Glendining. Tho Rev. Mr King, who acted as spokesman, explained the offer. Ho said that they were prompted to do so by tho fact that there was congestion at the Dunedin Hospital duo- to tho fact that men whoso cases were not acute had to be kept there. Most of these men did not require skilled hospital treatment, but were not sufficiently recovered'to send to 'their own homes. The institution which tho society was offering to tho Government would servo as a sort of midway institution between the General Hospital and tho men's homes. Another reason which prompted the offer was that Dunedin people did not see as much of tho invalid returned soldier as people did who lived in the north, and the establishment of tho institution would bring about an improvement in this respect. Tho Dunedin people had responded loyally to appeals for funds, and the branch lie represented had sent largo sums to Hanmer and other places for tho benefit of returned soldiers. The society did not intend to open a very largo placo at first. A matter of. eay, 20 beds ■would probably be the capacity of tho building to start with. They wero desirous that it should be placed under the control of tho Defence Department or the Hospital authorities. They wished the Government to appoint a matron. Whilst tho society was prepared to undertake the financial responsibility, they thought that ,if a subsidy could bo given by the -Government so much the "better. He understood there was an allowance of about 14s per week granted by the Government for each pUtient. Tho assistants necessary to run tho institution, other than the matron, would not be a charge on the Government. Sir James Allen, on behalf of the Government, thanked tho society for its generous offer, but ho was not prepared to give a defiiiite answer offhand, as it would bo necessary for him to consult Surgeongeneral Henderson. Ho was pleased the offer had been made, as it gave him the opportunity of saying something about Red Cross work. Tho outbreak of war found the Red Cross organisations ill-prepared, and tho had to find money to undertako work which should havo been controlled by the Red Cross Society. .Ho was pleased, however, 'that the Red Cross had now come into its own. The people of tho dominion had collected large sains of money, which had been sent to Eng-. land and elsewhere for Red Cross work, and this money had accumulated. Ho suggested that some of the money collected should be retained in New Zealand to assist wounded soldiers. The Government was doing a good deal in this- respect. What was necessary for tho invalid soldier wa9 some occupation, such as leather-work, wood-carving, sewing, knitting, or embroidery. This functional training was being attended to by the Government, and he (the speaker) was encouraging it to tho full extent of his power. The Government was spending £460 at Hammer in connection with this work, and similar amounts would be expended in Dunedin and other hospitals where invalid soldiers were located. I'or instance, the Government found that jaw cases arriving in New Zealand had been improperly treated before being despatched to "the dominion, and the Government was so impressed with this that it had sent Professor Pkskerill abroad to attend to these cases. Ho found that some of the men had to be fed artificially for a period of two months, but under treatment they had don© well, and some of 'them \vere now back in the trendies. He was pleased to state that the Dunedin Hospital would be a supplementary institution for orthoDasdic treatment. The institution at Hanmer had developed into a place for neurasthenic patients. They had convalescent homes at Devonport, Lowry Bay, and other places which had become useful institutions. The question of the control of the institution which: the society had offered to the Government was important. Be was bound to admit that dual control ky the Public Health and Defence Departments was most unsatisfactory. Regarding ♦ho training of medical men to meet the exigencies of invalid soldiers returning to New Zealand, ho had given instructions that some of the medical men attached to the N.Z.M.C. were to be given special training. They were also exchanging medical officers in New Zealand for men at the front, and Now Zealand soldiers returning wounded to the dominion would have tho benefit of the experience these medical officers had gained. Ho hoped that any action taken by the local branch of the Red Cross Society would have the full sanction of the principal body in tho dominion.

Mr Conn said the local branch had a representative at headquarters. Sir James Allen was pleased to know that they -were not dissociating themselves from headquarters. He was particularly anxious to see the Red Croes take its proper place in ■wax time, and hoped it would continue to exist when peace was restored.