PUBLIC HEALTH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23220, 18 June 1937, Page 4

PUBLIC HEALTH

AUSTRALIA'S POOR STANDARD PROFESSOR DEW'S CRITICISM Professor Harold Dew, professor of surgery at the University of Sydney, who delivered the annual Anne Mackenzie Oration at the Institute of Anatomy, Canberra, recently, said that it was a lamentable fact that the average standard of health in Australia was much below what it should be. Australia had an almost unequalled climate and an abundant supply of fresh food. Its people came from a comparatively hardy and vigorous stock. Health should, be the right of every citizen, but it was a tragic fact that

a large proportion of the population rarely exhibited that glowing, radiant appearance which denoted perfect health. "There seems little doubt," Professor Dew said, " that our descendants will look back on our boasted civilisation, with its comparatively high incidence of tuberculosis, its high cancer death rate, its numerous acute and chronic diseases, its relatively high maternal and infantile mortality, its infectious diseases, and its epidemics of influenza, to say nothing of the more serious common cold, with the same sort of tolerant pity with which we regard our ancestors of the middle ages." DISTURBING HOSPITAL » FIGURES Professor Dew said that it was a disturbing fact that in New South Wales in recent years the average number of patients attending hospitals was 684,000, or 26 per cent, of the whole population. The figures for South Australia were 36 per cent., while those of the other States

were somewhat smaller, and they all took no regard of the number of patients seen by private doctors. There was far too much chronic ill-health, much of which could be controlled or prevented. The degree ! of suffering and the amount of time j lost from work and the lessening of 1 national efficiency from that cause i was beyond computation. The death | rate must be greatly reduced, and | there was no reason why Australia should not build up the highest average national health standard in the world. j NATIONAL HEALTH COUNCIL The newly-formed Commonwealth Council for National Health and Medical Research had recognised the essential need for education of the people on health matters by every possible modern method. Professor Dew outlined the recom- | mendations of the council for the granting of financial aid for research | work, and its plans for appointing j junior research workers for three- [ year periods at good salaries, from

whom senior research workers would be chosen, given permanent positions, and employed on special work.

" I do not know," said Professor Dew, " what will be the outcome of all these developments; whether or not we will dri'ft into a form of national insurance, or come under a State medical service, or whether a compromise so dear to the AngloSaxon will be arrived at; but I know that when it comes to the performance of work in the treatment or control of disease, our profession will as in the past not be found wantin £-" . ~ The Anne Mackenzie Oration was founded by the director of the Institute of Anatomy (Sir Colin Mackenzie) in memory of his mother.