MATERNAL MORTALITY

Otago Witness, Issue 3512, 5 July 1921, Page 24

MATERNAL MORTALITY

WELLINGTON, JuSle 27. Regarding Dr Valintine’s comments as to the cause of the high maternal mortality, a prominent Wellington medical practitioner stated that it was hardly fair to put the whole responsibility on the medical man. The Health Department should ascertain the proportion of cases attended in the first place by midwives only. Many midwives only called a- doctor when difficulties arose. This might account to some extent for the great mortality. There was also a want of frankness in letting the department know of such cases in the early stages. Midwifery ought to be carried on by men doingnothing else. They were doing more specialisation now in New Zealand. The public have came to expect a doctor to be an all-round man, good in every branch of the profession. In the cities specialisation was better for the public. It would be interesting to know the proportion of midwifery cases where properly sterilised rubber gloves were used. There were some practitioners who still do not believe in them; but, personally, I think their use ought to be made compulsory. Hands cannot be boiled, but rubber gloves can, and if boiled between cases .there would not be much chance of carrying infection from one case to another.