TUBERCULAR CASES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3870, 15 May 1928, Page 13

TUBERCULAR CASES.

MORE ACCOMMODATION URGENT

DR VALINTINE STRONGLY' CRITICISED. CHRISTCHURCH, May 9. Strong criticism of the administrative actions of the Director-general of Health ; A - yalintine) in respect of the Canterbury Hospital Board’s application for more accommodation for tubercular cases, was expressed bj’ Dr J. G Blackmore, superintendent of the tuberculosis institutions under the Hospital Board, at a luncheon to the Canterbury members of Parliament at the sanatorium to-day. “We want accommodation for advanced cases,” said Dr Blackmore. “All the beds are occupied now, and there are 37 women waiting to come in. Last yearyll women died while waiting for admission, and in the past two years 17 women have died while waiting for admission.” He declared that it” was- not collect to say that there were more cases of tuberculosis in the South Island, as Dr Valintine had suggested. The fact iv as that in the South Island somethin o, was done to discover infectious cases’. In the North there was no organisation to , i?• a dispensary were established there, as in Canterbury, the Director-General would get a bit of a shock. The controversy as to lack of accommodation was not a new one. It had been going on for some years. Dr Valintine should, he claimed, be in possession of all the information about tuberculosis that any commission could "P 1 ’ nA IIe had been Chief Health Officer for 20 years, and now he asked for a commission to inquire how to deal with tuberculosis, and yet, the speaker continued, there are 700 or 800 people dymg everj- year of tuberculosis and the Director-general has no policy of dealing "’1 th the trouble. Dr Valintine asks for a little more patience. Some of these people have been patient unto death, and 1 think it is time now that somethin o, was done for those who are still living.””