INFLUENZA AT WAIROA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14787, 14 December 1918, Page 3

INFLUENZA AT WAIROA.

The Wairoa Guardian of Wednesday last Btates : We publish m another column a full report of Dr. Bowie's remarks m Gisborne. Seeing that' he has been good enough to render the district signal services we are not disposed to cavil overmuch at some of the statements, though his estimates of the "hundreds" of cases m various locali- ; ties were evidently based on hearsay. We readily- admit the sanitation of the pas, and m some of the more pretentious "dwellings" is not what it should be, nor what we have often pleaded for. The Wairoa natives sadly need a good native leader m all these matters, . but they have not one. In this matter, and that of the shearers' accommodation, the Health and Labor Depart^ ments seem to be at fault—, and, generially speaking, much more apt to criti- , cisc than to afford help. With the exception of the help given by the local 'inspector, Mr. McGregor — and we feel sure all will admit he has worked like .^t Trojan — we have been left to take of ourselves, and got snubbed when tried to stop the spread of disease by migration. As to the charge that on Dr. Bowie's arrival he found the .emergency committee had disapeared. So, it had— for it had succumbed to the dread malady, and several have already paid the supreme sacrifice. Dr. Bowie's gibe is therefore quite uncalled for. The Hospital Board failed m its duty, and that we have already pointed out, but we are a small community, with few trained nurses living amongst us, it was impossible to staff the main hospital with them, as all the serious cases were sent there at one*. In its previous issue, on Monday last, tne Guardian, m a leading article, stated : — Are the authorities doing evei*ythin^ possible m connection with the epidemic? This is a question that is being asked by everyone at the present time, and we, with others, are com- • pelled to answer No. The Health authorities have failed to grasp the seri: ona position m which the district is placed owing, firstly, to lack of staff m the three hospitals, and secondly, to lack of RccommodaJ-ion. Whilst condemning the Chief Health Authority, we must also add that the local Hospital Board have also been found wanting. Though the pandemic hag been raping during the past three weeks m the Wairoa district, and has daily been getting worse, these gentlemen have not considered it necessary to call a meeting and discuss the situation What little has been attempted has only 'been done at the point of the bayonet, so to speak, when the Citizens' Committee implored the Board to wire for nurses. Even this was only handled by the Board m a half-hearted manner, and now the situation is so precarious that patients are dying for lack of attention. Volunteer workers are daily re-

tiring to their beds sick nf the malady, L and already many have given their lives m helping to stay the enemy. Anything we might say m criticism of the Board at this time could no* be severe enough m condemnation of their neglect and lack of energy during this dreadful time, but criticism will not help matters at present, and we leave this side of the question for the time when these '--^lemen appear before the ratepayers. to =eek their . suffrages. Referring to the r^-istinpr hospitals we may say that the Clyde Hall is nothing more than n death-trap, both for patients and staff. and is also a <dansrer to the public generally, being too close to the mairi rond. The racecourse buildings nre unsuitable and are not weather-t'srht. The only buildings where anything like organisation can be exercised is at the mnin hos.pital and the 'temporary hospital at the \ school. The former building is now full, and there is no room for any more 'patients -nnt'l some of thoce already reooverintr are removed. At the school only pakeha patients are received, and the Maoris driven into the insanitary iconditions m the Clyde Hall or the olr» buildines at the racecourse. We fnel very deeply the lobr of many willing

helpers who are stricken with the com-

plaint, and we ask the Hosnital Board /■to be up and doing 1 , and if nothinor is -^jidone we appeal to the people of WaiNfea, to see that something is done on behalf of the native Tace who are the chief sufferers m thiß time of pestilence."