INFLUENZA PRECAUTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1926, Page 13

INFLUENZA PRECAUTIONS.

1 COUNTY ORGANISATION. | A COMMITTEE APPOINTED. . IT. 1 ~-nj-ajige,a complete organisation qase 'of An influenza epidemic, a i|ig of , delegates with epidemic of 1918 Was called by Ilie liaki County. Council m the county bjers yesterday. ~ ~ i AltlioUgli there-teas not much ev'idehefi ojf influenza at present, stated Mr. M. Fraser, chairman of the Taranaki Hos< pital Board, the danger of an epidemia seemed imminent. At a meeting of th# Health Department which he had attended,. ..notification was received of 33 cases ,pf, pneumonic influenza in Sydney. He ha<J. spoken against anything of an alajjpiiiig b ,nature, 4s it. was quite unneceseairy;, tp. alarm the people. The local bodies,.i-bning ihealthniau-thoritfoe, would be blamed if nothing were done. Haj was confident thaiU ifv there were any ' trouble, Hire Government would pay for it. He hoped that l an epidemic would 1 not come, but if,it should, it would ba) necessary tb have competent V.A.D.’s.

The secretary of the hospital board, Mr. E.j Holden, said that the Hospital Boa»d liad to supply accommodation for infectious, diseases. The idea was fo block out the different districts and to e£e that temporary accommodation was piovided....Each block would be put in charge'of a doctor, with whom they would be able to consult, but all th» serious cases in North Taranaki would be taken to New Plymouth. The idea was to the machinery in working ofder so a» to be able to put it in operation at a few hours’ notice.

That there wae no cause for aland at the moment, was the opinion expressed by Mr.riP. Swindells, health inspector for North Taranaki. The ordinary case' of influenza tvae not a notifiable type of disease. Preceding the severe type, which attacked the weak individual and spread very quickly, came a light wave. Ab the moment there —as not a-single notification of the septic type in the district, yet at the same time pneumonia) / was rather prevalent. He outlined the , scheme and stated that voluntary trailsport would be required, without creating any alarm. ’ ’ ‘ . Mr. Holden stated that it iris practically certain that the hospital board, would have to foot the bill and this) " would eventually be borne by the ratei, payers, so it would not do to go tci ’ aiiy great expense. The following resolution was carried s' "That this meeting of representatives of specific areas in the Taranaki county will take charge of any organisation that may he required in tho respective districts in case of an epidemic of fluienza.” The following representatives appointed:—Okato, Messrs J. S. Fox ia mr yV t J. Gray; Tataraimaka, Messrs R. Gatenhury and W. Honey field; Oakura, Messrs J. C. Bell and Guy Bell; Omata, Messrs E. Bayly aud S. Vickers; Hurworth, Messrs R. Wood and F. Baker p Upper Mangorei, Mr. S. Jackson; Kent Road, Mr. Mace Kent; Bell Block, Messrt J. Downs and McMurray; Lower Mangorei, Mr. J. Firth; Hillsborough, ■ Mr, H. Sampson; Tarurutangi, Mr. G. Longstaff; Lepperton, Messrs Ackland, Laps per and Hall; Huirangi, Mr. F. J. An.drews; Brixton; Mr. J. Smith; Korii, Mr. J. Smith.