LIGHT ON HEALTH INSPECTION MATTERS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 39, 21 February 1929, Page 5

LIGHT ON HEALTH INSPECTION MATTERS

EXPLANATION BY HEALTH OFFICER.

STRATFORD ALLEGATIONS.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT DUTIES.

At the last, meeting of the Stratford Bor'ouigh Council, Cr. Ward brought up the irjitter of allegedly overflowing sump, stating that nothing had been clone about it although he had complained. He also asked if the fact that the Medical Officer of Health for the district was on holiday had any significance in the mia,tter. Cr. Ward further drew attention to the fact' that although the Council had decided that certain premises should he demolished, no action had been taken. Cr. (Moore mentioned a case where a new tenant had gone into premises previously occupied hy a sufferer from an infectious disease without the premises being disinfected. The Town Clerk (Mi P. Skoghmd) has now received a letter from Dr. R. -I. R. Mecredy, Medical Officer of Health at' New Plymouth, covering the matters brought up at the Council meeting pud explaining the position. In view of the publicity given to the proceedings ah the Council meeting, the writer asked that his letter might he given equal publicity.

the .sum iv My attention has been drawn, writes Dr. Mecredy, to some rather extraordinary apparently made by one of your .councillors at a meeting on February 11th.

I may say in the first place that no official communication was received in this office in regard to any of the complaints, so- that the first Departmental officials could

know about the mail or was from the report in the paper. In the first place it is not necessary for a Medical Officer of Health to be present in order to have a nuisance from a sump abated. Secondly, when I personally proceed on leave, the Medical Officer of Health in Wellington takes charge of Hhis district; and is always available for consultation fin respect 1 to any matter of this kind. In fact, the Medical Officer of Health from Wellington was present on (lu i v in the town for a period ot about a week over the Christmas and New Year holidays.

DEMOLITION. Under the Health Act, the matter, of demolition of 'premises is placed in the hands of the local authority. The Medical Officer of Health can only give advice. fumigation. In regard to the disinfection of homes by fumigation, 1 may say that this practice has been discontinued in the district, as lit is not considered necessary, in view of our greater knowledge of the discemiuation of diseases. In this connection, pulmonary tuberculosis is looked upon in the same light as any other notifiable infectious disease. Various steps are supposed t tt be taken in regal'd to the cleansing of a room or house occupied by a cane suffering (from a notifiable infectious disease. Your Sanitary Inspector has been fully instructed hy me as t'o the steps which I consider (necessary. If your Council desires to return to the more obsolete method of disinfection, it is entirely a matter, for itself, as the extra expense involved is not borne l, y the Department 'of Health.

NUT (ONSIHLIMiI) USSFNL'IAL. 1 imay say that our practice m Taranaki as regards fumigation is to carry this out where the occupier of' the premises requests that it should he done. At the same time, he is informed that the Department no longer considers it essential, and that a trough spring cleaning of the room and a foiling or otherwise disinfecting o clothing used hy the infected person is adequate. Von will understand that our knowledge of the spread of infections diseases has undertime a very considerable change in the last lew yeais. T trust that these remarks will clear up the various points which seem to have caused the Counci - or some of its members, some concern.