PLUNKET NURSING

Otago Witness, Issue 3615, 26 June 1923, Page 7

PLUNKET NURSING

ADDITIONAL grant made. (From Ocn Otvs Corkespoxdext.) WELLINGTON, June 19. There are at present 62 Blanket nurses working in New Zealand. The Government subsidises the salary of each nurse to the extent of £l2s—a little more than half of what they receive for salary and expenses. For some time past the central council of the Flunket Society has been pressed by a number of smaller boroughs and centres"for the extension of the benefits of the movement to these districts all over the dominion. If is impossible for the council to do much without further aid from the Government, and consequently an application was made some time ago for a grant cf £3125 to enable an additional 25 Biunket nurses to be stationed in these centres, where already local committees have been sec up preparatory to the installation of the Biunket service. Recently a deputation waited on the Prime Minister at Dunedin, and Mr Massey slated that he was much impressed with the valuable work that was being done by Pluiiket nurses. The Minister of Public Health (the Hen. C. J. Parr) says that the Cabinet has acceded to the application of the Plunkeu Society and has decided to make a further grant of £3125 per annum. Mr Parr added that there was no feature of public health work that he was keener to advance than the Biunket service. Already the effect of their ministrations was seen in the lowest infantile mortality rate in rhe world. The dominion’s annual grant during his Ministership had been nearly doubled, but there was no public expenditure mere prolific of good to the general community. The -minister referred with warm approval to the munificent spirit cf the Hon. A. M. Myers, of Auckland, in giving £SOOO last week towards the Karitane Hospital for the treatment of infants and children and the training of Karitane nurses. “Our wealthy citizens,” said the Minister, “can find no more worthy object for their benefactions than this work of infant life preservation.”