PLUNKET SOCIETY PRAISED FOR WORK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17879, 22 June 1926, Page 6

PLUNKET SOCIETY PRAISED FOR WORK.

SIR TRUBY KING HOPES * TO SEE BABE MORTALITY REDUCED TO 2 PER CENT. Ter Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 22. At the annual meeting of the Plunket Society, the Hon J. A. Young. Minister of Health, said that the Prime Minister had agreed to give the society £15,000 immediately he was asked, and later a vote of £26.000 was to be considered. They had a very good friend in Mr Coates. He congratulated Wellington on building the first Karitane Hospital. All others had been converted from existing buildings, and were not always suitable. Dunedin had the lowest infant mortality in the world, and the society’ could claim the credit. Mr Kirkcaldie, president of the Citizens’ Committee, said that he was bitterly disappointed with the result of the appeal for £25.000 for a hospital. Only* £15,000 was raised, and he felt like approaching the Government for help. Sir Truby King said that the committee had done a great service in collecting funds in Wellington. Since November, 1924. of the 164 children treated not a single one had died. This was a great record for the nurses, but the strain on them was too great. He laid stress on the need for more antenatal work among mothers. He expected before long to see the infantile death rate reduced to 3 and then to 2 per cent.