NEGLIGENCE ALLEGED

Otago Witness, Issue 3429, 2 December 1919, Page 55

NEGLIGENCE ALLEGED

NURSE ENSOR'S DEATH. HEALTH DEPARTMENT BLAMED. Archdeacon Ensor, who has just returned from Te Araroa, East Coast. North Island, where his daughter, Nurse Ensor, died on the 13th inst. from typhoid, complicated by pneumonia, contracted while acting as a volunteer nurse for Maoris suffering from typhoid, intends taking legal advice with regard to proceeding against the Department Of Public Health for contributory negligence (says the. Christchurch Press). Early in October last the department called for volunteers to nurso the Maoris at Te Araroa suffering from typhoid, and Nurse Ensor, who was at the time in Auck-~ land, and another Auckland nurse, volunteered; the other nurse, however, missed tho steamer. The place where the Maori patients were located was about two miles and a-half from Te Araroa; there was no place for nursing them except a Maori meeting house; there were at least 17 cases, and Nurse Ensor was assisted by a district nurse, who was, however, much run down owing to the arduous . duties she had been called upon to discharge No provision was made for assistance. The people of Te Araroa had. pitched a tent for the nurses at such a distance frorn the Maori meeting house where the patients were accommodated that it was absolutely useless, as the nurses could not leave their patients day or night. When Nurse Ensor arrived there was no provision for cooking, nor for washing the patients or their clothes. Until another nurse arrived Nurse Ensor was working 14 hours daily, and did the cooking for the patients and herself on an open fire. No bedsteads were provided, and Nurse Enspr was under the necessity of sleeping on *a table—the only furniture in the room —and, owing to the leaky condition of the roof she was wet through on three nights. When the other nurse arrived a protest was made, and a kerosene cooking stove was provided, but nothing else was done. The nurses were under the necessity of washing- the patients' clothes—none of the Maoris who were well would touch the clothes. Nurse Ensor contracted tvphoid, and was unablo to sleep until she got rid of the fleas that were thick on her —typhoid fleas._ When Archbishop Ensor learned from his daughter's communications to him of the state Of affairs he telegraphed to the Health Department that he had evidence of culpable negligence and would hold the department responsible. He started for Te Araroa. but on reaching Wellington he received news of his daughter's death; she was buried the following day, and Archdeacon Ensor arrived at Te Araroa too late for •her burial. After visiting Te Araroa and investigating matters on. the spot. Archdeacon .Ensor has decided to take legal advice in respect of proceedings against tho denartment. He alleges that the neglect of the department in respect to health matters at Te Araroa has extended over a periorl of two vears, and that representations by the Waianu Hospital Board mid by people at To Araroa were not heeded.

MR G. W. RUSSELL'S STATEMENT. CHRISrrCHURCH, November 27.

Referring to the death of Nurse Ensor, Mr G. W. Russell, speaking at Phillipstown last night, said the responsibility in cases of epidemics rested with the hospital boards of the district in which they occurred, not with the Department of Health. The insanitary conditions under which the Maoris lived in their kaingas caused spread of disease in the North Island. While Minister ho had endeavoured to remedy this, and before leaving office he had appointed Dr Buck medical officer for the Maoris in order that they might bo properly looked after.