MAORIS AND HYGIENE

Southland Times, Issue 25796, 6 October 1945, Page 3

MAORIS AND HYGIENE

EFFECT OF HOUSING STANDARD (P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 5. In the discussion on the Health Department Estimates in the House of Representatives today, the Ministex - of Health (Mr Nordmeyer), replying to questions raised by Opposition members, said he agreed it was important that Maori housing conditions should be improved. The low standard of Maori housing did affect the incidence of tuberculosis, but to improve housing would not eradicate disease or remove the problem. It was most important to educate the Maori on standards of hygiene, which was being done most capably by district nurses and by education in the native schools. It was wrong, he said, to havS Maori patients in sanatoria and then to return them to the poor conditions from which they came. He was not in a position to say what would become of the services’ convalescent hospital in Rotorua, but splendid work had been done there, which would continue for some time. The Waikato Hospital Board had a proposal for a hospital, and representatives of the board would discuss that with the Minister of Finance and himself.