MENTAL HOSPITALS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 234, 4 October 1943, Page 3

MENTAL HOSPITALS

NURSE APPEALS AGAINST DIRECTION (P.A.) Auckland, Oct. 1. “It is particularly distasteful in ev :ry way for the manpower officer to have to direct young girls to mental hospitals,” said the manpower officer's representative, Mr. W. A. Leggett, at a sitting of the Auckland Manpower (Industrial) Committee yesterday. “This type of case is most difficult for the department, but the staff position in mental hospitals is desperate and the people in them must have competent persons to look after their needs.” The case before the committee was one in which Miss Jessie Margaret Price, a waitress, appealed' against being directed from Hardwick’s Tearooms to the Auckland Mental Hospital. It was the first case of its kind to come before the committee, as it was not formerly the policy of the National Service Department to direct girls to mental hospitals against their wills.

Mr - Leggett stated that appellant had had three years' experience as a nurse in the Seacliff Mental Hospital. That was why the direction order was issued to her.

“For three years I nursed in the Seacliffe hospital and I loathed the place before I left,” said Miss Price. “My sentiments regarding the work have not changed. What satisfaction could one give with these feelings? I will not work at any place I dislike and this also means mental hospitals. Surely there are still girls to be found who wish to do this type of work. They are the ones who would give satisfaction. I have done my effort and to go back to the work would be plain misery. This is one place I refuse to go to.” The chairman, Mr. J. O. Liddell stated that people appearing before the committee should not make such statements. It did not help their appeals in any way. A prejudice 'had been built up against mental hospital work and the result was that there were insufficient volunteers for the institutions. Therefore the manpower officer had to make directions to fill the vacancies. Every woman who refused to work in the mental hospitals should realise that she was throwing an additional burden on the staff already there. The committee reserved its decision pending further investigations.