INFLUENZA OF BAD TYPE IS NOT LIKELY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17863, 3 June 1926, Page 3

INFLUENZA OF BAD TYPE IS NOT LIKELY.

BOARD OF HEALTH DISCUSSES POSITION. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, June 2. Reference to a possible recrudescence of serious influenza in the Dominion raises a live question as to the responsi- ! bilities the various hospital boards may 1 have to shoulder. j During the course of an interesting discussion on the subject at the last I meeting of the Board of Health the Deputy Director-General (Dr M. H. Watt) expressed the opinion that the I usual prevalence of seasonable influenza of a mild type would be experienced, but there were at present no indications of anything more serious. The Minister of Health (the Hon J. A. 1 Young) made it clear that while he could give no definite promises members could rest assured that in the event of any grave national emergency, such as a widespread epidemic, the Government would do the fair thing by the boards. The matter was brought forward in the first place by Mr Murdoch Fraser, the representative of hospital boards on the Board of Health. He stated that hospital boards had been circularised by the Department, recommending them to be in readiness with hospital equipment, etc., to meet a possible outbreak of influenza. Mr Fraser asked whether the Department could furnish any more definite statement re- i garding the possibility of such an outbreak. He went on to point out that under the law as it now stood hospital * boards were* only responsible for the treatment of disease, while local authorities were responsible for the prevention of disease. If, therefore, any serious epidemic befell the country the hospital boards would be called upon to provide temporary hospitals, etc., and to foot the cost so far as the treatment of the sick in hospitals was concerned. It was difficult for the hospital boards to face such additional expenditure because the law required them to frame estimates of their expenditure at the beginning of the year and they could not foresee such things as epidemics. He asked whether some more definite information could not be supplied. Sir James Wilson spoke in a similar strain and asked that the Government should give an assurance that in the event of an epidemic occurring the cost would be borne by the Government, as was done in the case of the 1918 outbreak. Sir Lindo Ferguson made the suggestion that hospital boards should be allowed when framing their estimates at the beginning of the year to include a sum for epidemic purposes, such sum to be held in reserve and to be used only for epidemic purposes. Replying as to the possibility of another outbreak of serious influenza, Dr Watt said that it was impossible to state definitely whether there would be another outbreak of serious influenza. The Department in circularising hospital boards and local authorities were merely taking precautions. His own opinion was that we would no doubt experience the usual prevalence of seasonal influenza of the mild type, but that there were no indications at the present time to justify the conclusion that a serious epidemic was about to break out. Dr Watt added that the recent Press reports of influenza in Melbourne and New South Wales had been investigated by his Department, and it had been found that these re- i ferred to local outbreaks of simple in- . fluenza. At the same time, the De partment was exercising the utmost vigilance. The chairman of the board, the Hoi? J. A. Young, Minister of Health, then dealt with the financial position of hos pital boards in the matter. He ap preciated the position the boards were placed in as set out by Mr Fraser and Sir James Wilson, and, while he was not in a position to give any definite promise in the matter, they could rest assured that in the event of any jrave national emergency arising, such as a widespread epidemic, the Government would do the fair thing by the lospital boards. As regards Sir Lindo Ferguson's suggestion that boards ;hould be allowed, when framing their :stimates, to include a certain amount or epidemic purposes, he stated that t was impossible for the Government o agree to a proposal of that kind, t was quite true /hat the estimates of lospital boards as submitted to the Department at the beginning of each inancia.l year were reviewed most care- j ully. and it would be appreciated that uch a review was most necessary. To j llow the boards to include in their j stimates a sum over and above the [ mount required under norman circum- ] tances would, in his opinion, be wrong I l principle. If they were faced with J laving to combat another serious epi- S emic the position of hospital boards g s set out by the various speakers I , r ould not be overlooked.