HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE

Otago Witness, Issue 3882, 7 August 1928, Page 18

HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE

TUBERCULOSIS DEATH RATE. THE LOWEST ON RECORD. DECLINE IN BIRTH RATE. STRONG COMMENT BY DR VALINTINE. WELLINGTON, August 3. Ihe annual report of the Department of Health was tabled in the House of Representatives to-day, but the motion to print it was talked out and copies are not available for members or the press. iA?l ie - infa J lt , ile , mortality rate, 38.74 per iOGO, is slightly less than that of last year. Jibe birth rate (says the Directorgeneral, Dr T. H. A. Valintine), of 20 29 per 1000, is not satisfactory. It is the lowest yet recorded in the country. He adds. This is a matter of grave concern. I have no sympathy with the advocates of birth control, who appear to be overjoyed by the fact that relatively fewer children are being born in a country so favoured as New Zealand for, as stated in a previous report, there is no doubt that our population is best replenished and our empty spaces best filled by our own natural increase. The new-born infant, in other words, is our best immigrant.”

The tuberculosis death rate of 4.86 per 1000 of the mean population is the lowest so _far ■recorded in the Dominion. Since 18/2, the figures have fallen from 12.66 to 4.86. The inspector-general, however, states that he has been much concerned at the demands through their boards of certain medical superintendents, particularly in the South Island, for increased snatorium accommodation. The matter was brought to a climax by the application of the medical superintendent, through the North Canterbury Board, for additional accommodation for chronic tubercular cases in connection with the Cashmere Sanatorium. Dr Valintine comments adversely on the action of the board and the superintendent for not awaiting the report of a committee of recognised physicians on the accommodation in the tw’o islands.

The death rate from cancer is an improvement on that of the preceding year. The maternity mortality, 4.91 per 1000 live births, is an increase on the preceding year’s rate.

The Director-general visited the hospitals in almost every part of the Dominion, and says that, unfortunately, he brought on himself much criticism because he ventured to comment on the extraordinary increase in hospital expenditure. He is appalled at our hospital expenditure, actual and proposed, especially in certain districts, but he does not blame the boards entirely for this. If the members of the hospital boards could visit other countries, including Great Britain and the L nited States, they would come back here pleased and proud of our hospitals and our institutitons as a whole. Dr Valintine commends what is being done in dental hygiene, 390,<y)0 operations having been performed in Mr T. A. Hunter’s divisions since 1923 by dental nurses.