HEALTH CAMPS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20668, 5 March 1937, Page 10

HEALTH CAMPS

MEMORIAL TO LATE KING ADDRESS BY DR. WATT “That this conference thanks the Prime Minister for his message informing us of the form the memorial to the late King George V. will take, and assures the Prime Minister of our willingness to help in every way possible.” Such was a resolution carried unanimously at the conference of the Hospital Boards’ Association in Timaru yesterday after considering the following message from the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage): “As Prime Minister I shall shortly make an appeal to the people of New Zealand for the raising of a national fund to establish as New Zealand’s memorial to King George V. permanent children’s health camps. The form of the proposed memorial was decided after very full consideration of all possible alternatives. . It was ultimately felt that nothing could be more in keeping with the regard his late Majesty had for the health and welfare of his people. While national in conception the proposed memorial will not be confined in benefits to any one centre since at least two permanent cci-ips are proposed for each Island. I am appealing to you as head of an organisation deeply concerned with the health of our people to support me on my general appeal. I should be glad if you could see your way to commend the proposal to your conference with a view to conference recommending ail Boards and members thereof to cooperate at the appropriate time in furthering the national appeal. Dr. M. H. Watt has been requested to give you and the conference any information desired.”

The resolution was moved by the Rev. C. Wood (Auckland).

Addressing the conference, the Director-General of Health (Dr. M. H. Watt) said that he was glad to have the opportunity of telling the conference something about the health camp movement, what it had done and what the Government’s proposals were. The movement started in New Zealand in a small way about 15 years ago and owed its inception to the philanthropy and generosity of Mr Lethbridge, of Turakina, who had placed at the disposal of a school officer certain buffings for a health camp, and who had also found the bulk of the food for the children. The movement rapidly grew and the results were so spectacular that the Health Department and the public soon became imbued with the idea, and a number of other organisations sprang up in various parts of the country. The speaker named the existing organisations conducting health camps, and said that there was a wide geographical distribution of organisations who were turning their efforts towards providing health camps in their respective districts. The scheme had captured the public imagination and demonstrated that it filled a public need. The organisations were pre-eminently of a voluntary nature, but they worked in co-operation with the Health and Post and Telegraph Departments. The Government was desirous that the voluntary aspect should be preserved. It was obvious last year that the scheme was going ahead and might become unweildy, and that the time had arrived when a national system of organisation should be set up. Organisation Set Up Dr. Watt said that a conference was held in Wellington, and at this an organisation was set up so that the movement would extend over the Dominion. A Dominion Advisory Board was established to assist the Minister in deciding how the funds should be administered. In the separate districts there were Central Councils, and attached to these were affiliated asso-

ciations extending back into the country districts. Every organisation retained control over its finances provided it complied with the standards laid down by the Advisory Board. la the early years finance came from private philanthropy, but it would be remembered that at a later stage the health stamp scheme was inaugurated, and funds raised locally in this way were expended locally. In addition to the Health Stamp scheme a great deal of money had been received by private donations and gifts in kind, and the camps had been able to keep going, though at times it had been found difficult to provide equipment and the necessary staffs. National Memorial Dr. Watt said that recently it had become necessary to consider some form of national memorial to the memory of King George V. A great deal of thought had been given to the matter, and the Government decided that the most appropriate object would be the Health Camp movement. It was the intention of the Prime Minister to launch a public appeal in the near future. The Government would give a liberal donation and the public would be invited to subscribe to the fund, if it was to be a success the public must be behind it, and it was in this regard that the Government desired the co-operation and assistance of the various hospital boards. Continuing, Dr. Watt said that the money would be devoted to providing in the four main centres permanent buildings of a reasonable nature which would be so constructed, designed and equipped that they could be used all the year round. In Wellington there was a building in use all the year, and Auckland had a building which was used for six months, but in the other localities summer camps only were held. It was felt that with permanent buildings in the four centres it would be possible to have all the year round camps. If more money was received than could be utilised in this way it would be spread over the Dominion for providing permanent buildings for summer camps. Children Do Well

The Director-General said that health camps could be looked on as preventoriums and not as hospitals. Children were selected on medical grounds, being those who were physically below par but who were not of the type who required hospital or medical care. The benefits of health camps were obvious to those who had been associated with them. Children had gone in below weight, anaemic and white-faced and of low vitality, but after a few weeks they had improved considerably in weight and health and with a reserve of strength to carry them through the winter. It was their desire to do the best they could for the children, and it was a case where sentiment and the public welfare went hand in hand. If . they could build up the constitution of the children so that they could be saved from disease, then a great act would have been accomplished. Health camps were a definite link in the chain in the fight against tuberculosis. The movement was in the interests of the health and welfare of a section of the community, but they would get more results for their money and he had the utmost confidence in appealing to Hospital Boards to get behind the movement and give it their support. The motion was seconded by Mr J. Glover (Wellington) and carried by acclamation.