PORT HEALTH INSPECTION

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 41, 25 March 1914, Page 8

PORT HEALTH INSPECTION

DETECTION OF CONSUMPTIVES.

The case of a man' who recently came to New Zealand suffering from tuberculosis, and who was not detected by the port health officer at the port- at which the man landed before coming to Christchunch, was again before the North Canterbury Hospital Board this morning. The Chief Health Officer, replying to a letter from the board, stated that vessels were inspected at the port of arrival by the port health officer, special attention being paid to the detection of persons suffering from consumption. A good many cases of the disease tected by this means, but naturally some escaped the vigilance of the pert health officer. In such instances the department was prepared to receive,.the patients at the Cambridge Sanatorium, where they could be treated without cost to the hospital board concerned* The Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Minister of Public Health, also wrote on the matter. - In the eourse of his letter he said: —"I quite agree with your board that it is to be regretted that such cases of consumption occasionally escape the vigilance of our port health officers, but I am confident that the officer responsible in this instance is most careful and zealous in carrying out his duties. In his letter of February 5, the DeputyChief Health Officer outlined the system of port health officers ' inspection, and short of detaining vessels for some forty hours for the purpose of examining the chest of each passenger, I do not see how it would be possible to detect every case of consumption on board. As a matter of fact, however, very few Caßes of consumption do escape the vigilance of the port health officers. Though I share with your board the desire to prevent cases of the above-mentioned description being admitted to the Dominion, I doubt very much if the public would welcome the prolonged detention of shipping that would be necessary for exhaustive examination of passengers. I am, ever, grateful to your board for bring-* ing the facts of this case to my notice.'' Mr O. Bradley remarked that the man in question came straight from Wellington to Christchurch, and then into the sanatorium, and his illness should have been detected when he arrived in the Dominion.

Dr T. H. Valintine (Chief Health Officer), who was at the board's meeting, pointed out that some cases of consumption could not be detected without a long examination. If shipa were held up for 40 or 50 hours for complete medical inspection, the public would complain. People heard of occasional cases which got past the port health officers, but not of the number which were turned back. Personally, he thought that the cost of treatment of consumptives who managed to get into the Dominion should fall on tiw shipowners. The medical officers of the ships had a better opportunity of detecting consumption amongst the passengers than the port health'officers had.