MATERNAL MORTALITY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19513, 16 February 1926, Page 10

MATERNAL MORTALITY

RECORD OF ST. HELENS "NOT A WHITE ELEPHANT.” ANTE-NATAL CLINICS. Statements made by Dr. Sydney Allen to members of the Auckland Hospital Board, representing maternal mortality are criticised in a reply received from Dr. R. Tracy Inglis, medical superintendent of St. Helens Hospital. Auckland. The letter reads as follows: “Dr. Allen has evidently very little knowledge of New Zealand conditions as regards midwifery training, as evidenced by his ignorance of the establishment of ante-natal clinics. I would protest against his accusing the nurses, as he evidently does, of being the chief cause of maternal mortality. This is most unfair, and attacks a body of women who are on the whole welltrained and who carry out their duties conscientiously and efficiently. 1 ‘St. Helens is not a white elephant and it is unfair to style it as such. It was founded to supply a great want in the community, namely, a suitable place where the wives of men earning a small wage could be attended to under good conditions and at low rates of expense. If these ideals are to be preserved St. Helens can never be made a paying proposition. As a hospital it is run very economically and no one could expect that a rate of 30s a week would pay for board, lodging, medical and nursing attention. Even if the Health Department did not collect any fees the country would be well repaid by the saving of maternal and infantile lives. Comparison of Death-rate. “To prove this one has only to compare the mortality list of, say, St. Helens, Auckland, with that ascribed to the whole of New Zealand. In 1925 the maternal mortality was 3 per thousand, in 1924 1.59 per thousand, and taking the last five years, the total admitted to St. Helen’s was 2519 with a mortality of seven, that is, 2.77 per thousand. These figures compare well with Denmark’s 2.04 per thousand, the lowest quoted by Dr. Allen.

“While it must be conceded that patients are confined under the best conditions in a hospital such as St. Helens, yet it must also be remembered that the worst cases are sent in there, and the most complicated cases are dealt with. Also, even one death in a year means a rate of 1.6 per thousand, as we only deal with about 600

a year in-door patients. Dr. Allen, in his criticism, says, ‘mortality figures speak for themselves,’ therefore it would seem that in St. Helens, Auckland, the technique and training must be good. The Period of Training “Dr. Allen is reported in one paper as having stated ‘that while in Holland the midwife receives three years’ training in New Zealand the training is six months.’ This statement is misleading, as it is only partly true. Up to the end of last year an untrained nurse received twelve months’ training, while a trained nurse received six. This year, however, the training in both classes has been lengthened considerably—a step in the right direction. “With regard to ante-natal clinics, Dr. Allen should make sure of his facts before making a public statement. An ante-natal clinic has been in existence at St. Helens Hospital, Auckland, since 1909. Six or eight months ago the Health Department detailed Dr. Elaine Gurr to enlarge the ante-natal clinic at St. Helens and establish three additional clinics in Auckland, namely one at St. John Ambulance station, one at the Salvation Army Home, and one at St. Alary’s Home.

“New Zealand can thus hardly be accused of being backward in starting ante-natal work. It must also be remembered that ever since its inception in 1906, St. Helens Hospital, Auckland, has done a great deal of post-natal i work among the babies. Almost all i babies born in St. Helens or attended to by St. Helens nurses arc brought to 'St. Helens for advice as to feeding or ;in case of illness. St. Helens can, : therefore, claim to have done something to reduce infant mortality, j “Dr. Allen’s statement concerning | the qualifications of the men staffing i the midwifery schools w r as quite uncalled for, as St. Helens results show. • Again. ‘mortality figures speak for themselves.’ ’’ Development of Clinics. I Dr. T. J. Hughes, medical officer of health at Auckland, stated yesterday, 'in regard to New Zealand ante-natal j clinics, that the Health Department i had a special officer in Dr. Gurr, -who j had been developing this branch of the department’s work and extending the clinics in the various centres of the i Dominion. Such clinics had been fur- | ther developed in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. In Christchurch, said Dr. Hughes, clinics were operating at St. Helens Hospital, the Salvation Army Home, the Plunket Society’s Essex Home and at the Plunket Society’s rooms at New Brighton. In Wellington they had been established at St. Helens Hospital, the Salvation Army Home, the Alexandra Home and the Plunket Society’s rooms at Petone and Lower Hutt. In Auckland Dr. Gurr had been extending her work for five months past and clinics were in operation at St. Helens Hospital, St. Alary’s Homes, Otahuhu, the Salvation Army Home and at the St. John Ambulance Association’s rooms. The latter had be< n in existence for the last three months. 'Clinics had also been established at Rotorua and Waiuku. A great deal of useful work was being carried out by these clinics, including the visiting and care of of patients who were too ill to attend the clinics. A good deal of information and assistance had also been given by correspondence to country patients. No fewer than five medical men were assisting at the Auckland clinics. Attendances at Clinics. The clinics were -staffed by nurses who had special training in ante-natal jwork, said Dr. Hughes. There were nurse instructors in ante-natal work in 'the four centres who assisted in the (training of the nurses, and during the I last year over 5f7 maternity nurses had (been trained and had gained diplomas in the work. For the last four months attendances at the clinics in New Zealand were 3047. In order to bring before the New Zealand public the necessity for ante- , natal work, the Health Department had Included in its exhibits at the Dunedin Exhibition the diet for expectant mothers, clothing, shoes, sterilising |of maternity outfits and pamphets of interest, to expectant mothers. A nurse instructor from the department was at present at the exhibition to give information. It was the intention of the depart--1 ment, Dr. Hughes added, to continue I the development of the work and increase the number of centres in which clinics were established.