THE MAKOGAI LEPERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20320, 31 January 1928, Page 13

THE MAKOGAI LEPERS.

CC3T OF MAINTENANCE. BAS& OF CONTRIBUTiCM. A SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, January 20. Conscience that, success would follow the recent conference in Suva to establish a more equitable basis on contrib-t----tit-,, by interested Governments toward the maintenance of the leper station at Makogai was expressed last evening ny Sir Maui Poniaro. Minister for the Cook Island and Acting Minister of Internal Affairs, upon his return from a consultation. Sir Maui had much to say in praise of the administration of Makogai, and voiced the heartfelt thanks of the lepers there for gifts sent them from New Zealand. The Island of Makogai is of co„siderable interest to New Zealand, being the central station for lepers from all parts of the Western Pacific, including Samoa and the Dominion, together witn the Cook Islands. “ The orincipal of the obiccts ot tlie conference,” said Sir Maui. ” were to reach an agreement satisfactory to the administrations interested whereby each Government benefiting by the Makogai institution should bear a more e>. unable portion of the financial burden and enable the execution of a programme o*’ improvements which the growth of the station ni recent years has rendered imperative. Ihe work of the conference was highly sue cessful, and much good must arise therefrom.” “ One of the most beautiful at tne Pacihc islands, Makogai, is situated nine miles from Lcvuka, with which it communicates by its own schooner and native crew. At present there are being treated there 459 patients, comprising bijians, -Samoans, Tongans. Indians, Chinese, Solomon Islanders, Cook Islanders, New Zealand Maoris, and some Europeans. It spoke much for the work of the medical administration of Dr A. Neff and the care of tile sisters of the Order ot Alaiy, who nobly gave their services in a humanitarian cause, said Sir Maui, that each vear about 20 lepers were dischaiged cured, wdiile many others who went to the island a living death were today full of hopes of an early recovery. Cleanliness and orderliness were everywhere apparent on the occasion ot the visit. The main settlement is a dalice, where are situated the hospital, operating theatres, dressing rooms, the female quarter, and the administrative offices. Extending along the coast on either side of the dalice are leper villages for male putpatients, each territory having its own separate village with attached food plots, which are cultivated by the patients. Although a wonderful work was being performed at Makogai, said Sir Mam, there was still much to be done in the direction of providing additional medical attendance, additional accommodation tor the already overcrowded houses, additional equipment, and facilities tor the treatment of patients, water supplies, cold storage for foodstuffs, lights, improve ments to roads, and, not the le; A important —amusement for the pat r -s-

A pathetic incident occur ;d timing the visit when a New Zealan patient who Lad become totally blinc througu the effects of Use dread discasc, spoke »n highest appreciation of the interest already shown by the people of tb i Dominion in supplying Christmas die and many other "gifts for the com fon of the lepers. “ Tell the people of New Zealand,” he said, “that we are being ,dl cared foi and everything possible be ng done for us.”

At the present time an effe •! was being made to provide an entertainment hall and subscriptions had been freely offering towards this worthy object not only in New Zealand and Fiji, but from nil quarters of the Pacific. This work was now about to be nut in band, but Sir Maui concluded with an anneal to the public to show a m-ir-kened interest in the leper asylum at Makogai.