MATERNAL MORTALITY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18427, 10 March 1922, Page 3

MATERNAL MORTALITY.

MIDWIVES SHOULD BE BETTER TRAINED. “Ninety-five per cent, of women should bear children without the least danger of death. If numbers of women die in nursing home and maternity hospitals, something must be wrong.” The foregoing statement was made to a ‘Sun” reporter by a well-known medical man who has returned t J Chrirtchurch from the Britisii Medical Association Conference in Wellington. He dealt briefly with the discussion on maternity mortality that had taken placo at the confer ence. “The State should undertake strict supervision of all nursing homes,” he said. “Nurses and midwives who are not properly trained should not be allowed to be in charge of such homes. It is a matter of grave import that the State should take steps to have the length of the midwifery training period extended. One year is not enough for women to become efficient midwives. Nurses have a great deal more training in a public hospital at washing floors than midwives have in learning how to perform tbeir duties. The State must act immediately.” Government supervision of private hospitals of all descriptions was also important, he said. Medical men should not take up the attitude that it was “infra dig” for them to allow inspections by the State medical service. “Incompetence, not weak women, causes maternity mortality,” he coneluded.