HEALTH SERVICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24836, 9 February 1942, Page 4

HEALTH SERVICES

EVENT OF ENEMY ATTACK READY FOR EMERGENCY A CO-ORDINATED PLAN (F.0.P.R.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 8. "The advent of Japan into the war has brought home more vividly the realisation that it is probable casualties will be suffered both by. the armed forces and by civilians within this Dominion'before the war ends," said the Minister of Health, Mr A. H. Nordmeyer, when speaking of the health services of the country in a national service radio address to-night, "It is unlikely, of course," he said, "that we will experience an attack on the scale and of the magnitude experienced in other lands, but it will be nothing short of a miracle if this Dominion escapes without some attempt being made either to invade our shores or to bomb our cities from the air or bombard them from the sea." Casualty Provision Referring to the steps that had been taken to meet such an emergency, the Minister said that a scheme involving the co-ordination of hospital facilities in contiguous districts had now been so perfected that the public might rest assured that if any specific locality were attacked and casualties occurred on a wide scale complete arrangements would be. made for* dealing with this either in the local hospital, in auxiliary b ospitals that had been. earmarked for the purpose, or in the surrounding towns. Actually 21,000 additional beds could be made available in the Dominion to meet an emergency. In addition, the E.P.S. organisation had worked out detailed plans in every centre for dealing with casualties that might' occur in an air raid or bombardment. The arrangements were as near perfect as could be, and they should function smoothly if the occasion required it. Plans had also been completed for the evacuation from hospitals of persons who, in an emergency, could without serious disadvantage be sent either to their homes or to a subsidiary institution, thus leaving the beds free,for emergency hospital cases. Services Overseas "I would like you to think of the splendid work being achieved by the doctors and nurses serving with, the armed forces overseas," the Minister continued. "We have sent no fewer than 239 doctors and 400 nurses to care for our men, and the medical and nursing services associated with the armed forces are better equipped to-day than they have ever been for dealing with sickness and injury among our men.", Mr Nordmeyer also referred to arrangements thaj had been made within the Dominion to care for sick, or wounded men sent home, giving tails, of the hospitals and convalescent homes established in the Dominion. The whole of the arrangements/he said, had been carefully thought out and he could give an unconditional assurance thfot the facilities were fully adequate to cope with the number of men returning for treatment , • Ah Important Point The problem of treating sick soldiers in camps within the Dominion was also discussed by Mr Nordmeyer, who said that common ailments such as mumps, influenza, and measles, represented a very big additional: burden on hospital accommodation. A point of cardinal importance, he concluded, was the necessity for keeping all the health services as free and mobile as possible to meet an emergency. The more fit and healthy the people were the fewer demands that would be made on doctors and hospital staffs, and the person who tried to keep himself fit was making a substantial' war contribution, f -