THE TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18547, 22 August 1928, Page 10

THE TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS.

COMMENT MADE ON COMMITTEE’S REPORT.

The North Canterbury Hospital Board has decided to forward to the Director-General of Health the opinions of the Public Health Committee of the board on the recommendations of the Tuberculosis Committee of Inquiry. The committee recommended: Clause I.—A division for tuberculosis N to be established in the Health Department under a director. Clause 10. —The Otago Hospital Board should be encouraged to join with the associated boards to form one association. Clause 11.—The Hospital Boards in the South Island—north of Ashburton—should be encouraged to form an association with a committee representative of each district. Clauses 1, 10 and 11. — That in the committee's opinion it is desirable to combine all hospital boards in New Zealand with a director appointed by the boards and who should not be a Government officer. Clause 2. —Hospital boards should be encouraged to establish tuberculosis dispensaries. Clause 3.—The routine use of tuberculin in sanatoria should be discouraged. The committee- desires to point out that tuberculin is nert a routine treatment and is a matter that should be left entirely in the hands of the medical control of the institution, or institutions. Clause 4.—Medical superintendents of sanatoria should be urged to admit all cases that would be likely to benefit. That sanatoria are intended for the treatment of early cases of tuberculosis. Special accommodation should be provided for more advanced cases. Qlause s.—The stay of minimal cases in sanatoria should not, as now, be unduly prolonged. This is a matter that should be left to the medical control. Clause 6. —The accommodation at Otaki Sanatorium should be increased. Clause 7.—Extra accommodation should be provided for chronic cases in the special hospitals at Dunedin, Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland. Clause B.—Sufficient accommodation for tuberculosis cases should be reserved at the general hospitals in the centres mentioned for the benefit of patients and to afford medical jjractitioners and medical students opportunities for studying the disease. Clause 9.—The medical profession should be encouraged to co-operate with local authorities, the Health Department and voluntary aid associations in their efforts to control the disease. The committee agrees with this and points out that it is already being done in the Canterbury and Westland districts. Clause 12.—Specially trained nurses should be employed for the inspection of cases in homes. This recommendation is being carried out in the North Canterbury Hospital District, and the board’s committee further suggests that the appointment of one or more public health nurses would be of advantage. Clause 13.—The establishment of voluntary aid committees for discharged patients and cases in*homes should be encouraged. Voluntary aid committees are already in existence in connection with the board's sanatoria. Further to the above, the committee suggests that the board should urge the Government to make an extension to the Pensions Act in favour of the dependents of consumptive patients: for the reason that worry with regard to family very frequently retards recovery, and, unquestionably, a pension to the bread-winner might be granted with advantage if he or she is an inmate of a tuberculosis institution. The committee desires to call the attention of the board to the fact that no reference whatever is made in the report regarding the provision of special accommodation for uncontrollable tuberculous patients. The report was presented by Mr A. T Smith and approved.