MATERNITY SERVICES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21089, 15 July 1938, Page 14

MATERNITY SERVICES

Committee’s Report Discussion in House General Satisfaction With Position By Telegraph —Ftps? Association WELLINGTON. July 14. The greater part of the time of the House of Representatives this afternoon was devoted to the discussion of the report of the Committee of Inquiry into Maternity Services. Moving that the report be referred to the Government for consideration, Dr. McMillan (Labour Dunedin West) said that one could not but admire the efficiency and thoroughness with which the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. Fraser, had carried out his portfolio. He then proceeded to deal with various sections of the committee's report. It had become apparent to the committee that there was an increasing tendency on the part of women to avail themselves of maternity hospitals throughout the Dominion in preference to bearing infants in their own homes. There was also an increasing tendency for them to have the services of both a doctor and a nurse and not just a midwife. More efficient service could be rendered in cases where both a doctor and a nurse were present than in those in which only a midwife was in attendance, and even better service could be given in a properly equipped maternity hospital. Dr. McMillan stated that modern methods of giving optimum pain relief necessitated supervision by a doctor, and it was also easier to make provision in hospitals for the working of

reasonable hours by nurses than in some instances where maternity nurses were in charge of cases at their own homes or at the homes of their patients. He went on to refer to the services which maternity hospitals were giving the community, and stated that in practically all maternity hospitals visited by the committee the nurses owning them were receiving only their bare living. They were doing good service, and he considered that they were entitled to a larger subsidy from the hospitals. Horn’s of Nurses Dr. McMillan said that he did not think the conditions laid down were very onerous and, contrary to the contention that the regulations would create a shortage of nurses, they were designed to increase the number of nurses taking up maternity work. Under present conditions, he said young nurses very often refrained from entering maternity services on account of the long hours of work necessitated, and he thought one of the marked results of the reduction in hours would be that more nurses would enter this service. | The regulations came into force in September, and he thought he could give an assurance that the Minister would not be too strict in his interpretation of the regulations where cases of emergency arose. The hours provided were 48 a week. Mr S. G. Holland (Nationalist Christchurch North): That includes meal hours as well, doesn't it? Dr. McMillan: Yes. Nurses arc human like ourselves and require some time for their meals. Mr Holland: I did not mean what i 'he lion, gentleman evidently thinks I meant. I merely was inquiring if the 48 hours included meal hours. Dr. McMillan: I’m sorry I misinterpreted what the hon. member thought. Continuing, Dr. McMillan added that probably the most valuable part of Plunket work was that which went under the heading of mothercraft. Speaking of the relief of pain in childbirth, Dr. McMillan said the committee realised that optimum relief was not being given in public institutions, and it was obvious that under present conditions poorer women were not receiving as much pain relief as better off women. Opinions cf Members Mr T. 11. McCombs (Labour. Lyttelton) said he agreed that the committee’s suggestion that the Government should inaugurate a young women’s domestic help bureau was a good one, and he also agreed with the finding of the committee that there should be resident house surgeons in maternity hospitals to give mothers optimum pain relief. He agreed with the chairman that outside doctors should be allowed to send their patients to maternity hospitals and attend them there themselves. He commended the Minister I for his foresight in making an investi- | gation before deciding on his policy. Mr W. T. Anderton (Labour, Eden) said the report of the committee must be regarded with satisfaction, because it meant the commencement of a wholehearted effort to improve a service which was the most important in the Dominion. Mr C. H. Burnett (Labour, Tauranga) urged the necessity of making provision for the native population in the Bay of Plenty area. He was chiefly concerned about their health. He referred to native housing as a very serious problem, and said that although the Government had done a great deal to improve the position, much remained to be done. Mr A. C. Sexton (Ind. Franklin) stressed the importance of the population being constantly increased by young people, upon whom the success of most of the schemes for the future depended. He could not conceive any worse condition than a community with an undue proportion of aged and elderly people. Mr J. Hodgens (Labour, Palmerston)

said reference was made in the report to old and inconvenient hospital buildings and he expressed regret that the last,Government had seen fit to reduce the hospital grant by some £200,003 during the slump years. He was certain that the present Government would leave no stone unturned in making provision for bringing hospital buildings up to date, and that there would be no question of economy at the expense of mothers as had obviously been the case with the last Government. A Splendid Record Mr J. Hargest 'Nationalist. Awarua) referring to the National Government's reduction in the hospital grant, said no one on the other side of the House would dare to say he had evidence that any mother or child had suffered in the nursing service in hospital as a result of that economy which the previous Government had found necessary during the slump four years ago. He considered the committee’s report a very interesting one, and it should serve

as a splendid historical record of con- j ditions of maternity hospitals ni 1937. i Moreover, it should prove of inestim- , able value to the Minister of Health. ■■ He expressed the opinion that an insufficient number of maternity nurses were being trained to meet requirements throughout the Dominion. In ! Invercargill several maternity homes ' had appealed to the Health Department to assist them in securing the services of maternity nurses, but had been unable to obtain them. It was a position which the Minister cf Heal Jr would have to face up to when the hours of work and regulations for nurses came into force in September. He urged the Minister to defer bringing the hours of work regulations into opera- | lion until he was certain they would j cause no grave disability to licensees , of private maternity hospitals. Minister's Speech Mr Fraser thanked th? chairman and ' members of the committee for the . valuable work they had done, and he I said he wished to support the tribute , which the committee paid to th? valu- J able services of maternity hospitals | throughout the Dominion. With regard to th.? small income of heen: ces • cf matcrimy hospitals, he said that | when the Governm m e. props-: -d social legislation came into effect it was hoped

; that the income of those hospitals I would I;? more assured than ever bc- | fore. lie would I.. 1 veiy sorry io see the | introduction of any mgulations stuliiMr Fraser admitted that there was a temporary shortage of nurses in New Zealand due to a number of reasons, but speaking cf the hours of woik regulations he would ask the Hon. Member for Awarua if he objected to the hours of nurses being reduced to a reasonable number. .Mr Hargest: No, but I tlieJ: the institutions concerned should be ;. ,; vni proper time to meh? provision fur t!:e application of the regiiluiion-. Mr Fraser: I am glad that the lon. Member agrees. The second part of his reply ma.y be taken for gn.n'.cd The Minister conllr. nd that abnormally long hours were not good for anyone. He assured Mr llamc.i that the position with regard to the Invercargill mat: in it,y hospitals would o? thoroughly investigated and it it were found that disabilities were being , created, every step would be taken la I adjust the regulations to meet require- | merits. Keen as he w. s to mak.p j conditions easier for m:i. it would be ridiculous, and he was sure inc 1 nurses the-mseives would aertc, tint' anything should be done at the expense . of mothers. He took it that the who!? House would agree that imr. ... shou’d ; have reasonable hour., as their health i was of greatest imgcriance. In con- j elusion Mr I-rarer paid a tribute to! I the work of the late Sir Truby King. | and said there was no fear about •’ e future of tiie Piunkcl Society. First Duty of State Mr W. A. Lodkm (N.itiona.'ist, Jen- I tral Otago), said the ncccsHiy lor n.ak- j ing adequate maternity provision was 1 recognised by everybody as the Lmt duty Gf the State, and iiu joined h i I ocher members in commending the! committee lor the value of its report. It was gratifying to find that the < o i- | mittee had found in every part of th? , Dominion conditions that suggested in the main that adequate provision had already been made. It was evident that New Zealand had hospital service of which it could be proud. Difficul- ! ties had to be contended with in remote country districts largely on account of the sparsity of settlement cud ! difficulties of transport. Mr P. Neilson (Labour, Dunedin | Central), discussed hospital services in i Dunedin, and said he agreed with the report that hospital nurses should have more pay. ”? felt sure that H greater remuneration ..ere offered they would stand a better chance of getting girls to enter the nursing service. He also considered that the offer of better wages and greater opportunities for recreation would assist in solving the problem of lack c.’ domestic assistance. Subsidy Suggested Mr W. J. Polson (Nationalist, Stratford), agreed with previous members that the report was a very valuable

one. He instanced several cases of | hardship occurring in maternity cases in the backblocks. and urged that the Government should give some measure | of assistance in these cases. The Women's Division of the Farmers’ Union handled just such a class of work, but was handicapped on account of lack of funds, and he suggested that the Government might supplement th?

funds of the Women's Division and also of the Plunket Society to enable them to supply a nurse-housekeeper service to country people. Mr J. Robertson (Labour, Masterton), advocated the use of every up-to-date facility in homes in rural areas to eliminate domestic drudgery. This would alleviate to a large extent the present shortage of domestic assistance. Mr C. W. Barrell (Labour, Hamilton), discussed conditions among the Maoris, and contended that some maternity cases among the Maoris were a disgrace to the country. The debate was adjourned at 10.1.) p.m. The Prime Minister announced with regret that he had just received word of the death of the Hon. H. A. Russell, and would move an appropriate motion to-morrow. The House rose at 10.20 p.m.