BIRTH-RATE PROBLEM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12720, 15 August 1919, Page 6

BIRTH-RATE PROBLEM.

WORK OF HEALTH DEPARTMENT, [From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, August 14. , Reference to the. recent discussion of the birth-rate and the cost of parentage problem by the Auckland Farmers’ Union was made to a representative of the “Lyttelton Times” by the Hon of the “Star” by the Hon G. W. Russell, Minister of Public Health. “This matter.” stated the Minister, “.has been carefully considered for some time past. I quite realise that the falling birth-rate is not only an ethical question, but probably still more an economic one. The' statement that the cost of childbirth in the average working man’s family amounted to about £ls is probably, in many cases, not placed too high. In order to meet the position and encourage the birth-rate, every effort possible is being made with the finances at the of the Public Health Department. There are now six St Helens homes in the Dominion, namely, at Auckland, Wellington, e Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill and Gisborne. At these the average cost of childbirth does not exceed £4, namely, £1 for one week when the mother is usually awaiting accouchement, and two weeks, which is the average stay after the birth of a child, at £1 10s per week. This covers all lodging, doctor, nursing and other charges, including in manv cases the use of an outfit for the child. The scheme is becoming increasingly popular, and in Christchurch large additions are being made to the St Helens Homo. . “The Hospital Boards are also takrng active part in the good work. At . Napier a very fine maternity home, v hich was donated by Air M’Hardy, is in existence. At Blenheim a valuable property was recently purchased for the purpose hy the Wairau Hospital Board. _ There is also a very successful maternity home at Picton, under control of the Hospital Board, and other districts are steadily coming into line.. The boards are being encouraged everywhere to establish maternity homes under their own control, and to run them on the same lines as St Helens Homes. tr'i^^TT 0 * the primary objects of St Helens Homes is for use as nursing schools in midwifery, and from these the trained midwives of the Dominion come. They frequently go into other districts, where they establish maternity homes. NURSES IN THE BAOKBLOOKS. „ “ Another new departure of the Health Department is the sending out into backblocks districts of nurses who have had special training in midwifery. They are proving a most useful addition to the medical equipment of the districts where they are stationed. It is hoped shortly to cover the entire Dominion with such trained nurses, whoso fees, of course, are limited to the lowest sum required to bring the finance as nearly as possible on the right side. There is also a large increase in the number of counties which are using recent legislation for the purpose of establishing medical practitioners in their districts. A number of medical associations are also in existance, whose funds are subsidised by the Department. It is the policy of the Department to encourage this in Order to nave not only a medical practitioner, tut also a trained midwife for the people of each district. “While, therefore,” said the Minister m conclusion, “ there is a good deal of ground to be covered to meet the undoubted need disclosed bv the discussion of the Auckland Fanners’ Union meeting, the Department is as fast as it can be done endeavouring to meet the necessities of the situation. The only way to meet them, in my opinion, 15 by the steady and rapid extension of the nursing system to .the outer districts of the country, because experience shows that the number of cases in which a medical practitioner is required in addition to a trained midwife is exceedingly small.”