WAR AGAINST T.B.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 94, 21 April 1944, Page 4

WAR AGAINST T.B.

WANGANUI HOSPITAL BOARD'S SHARE ACTIVE PART IN CAMPAIGN Many people were asking where the money would come from, but they did not realise that the Otaki sanatorium for tuberculosis patients was Felt-supporting, said the chairman, Mr. W. E. Broderick, reporting at a meeting of the Wanganui Hospital Board yesterday on the proposal to take over a share of the institution. Mr. Broderick referred to a conference held in Wanganui last week, when the representatives of six hospital boards, which will share control of the institution, discussed preliminary plans. On June 30, next, he sale, these boards would take over the sanatorium, free of cost. Mr. T. C. Kincaid (Taihape): That, seems too good to be true. Mr. Broderick said he believed the board hed acted wisely in deciding to be associated with this scheme. He was confident that it. was a step in the right direction in the war against tuberculosis. Moving that the board agree to taking over its share of the Otaki sanatorium, the Hon. W. J. Rogers said-that more extensive effort and less intensive discussion was needed if effective steps were to he taken to deal with this disease. ‘‘lt is a most insidious disease which has, and is, taking a heavy toll of the flower of womanhood and manhood in this Dominion, and, in particular, a far larger number of nurs n s than the public has any conception/’ Mr. Rogers. added. "Steps already taken are welcome, but much has to be done, quickly and irrespective of the cost, to save needless suffering and sacrifice of human, lives.” Til! the South Auckland and Wellington schemes-were under way, no I alterations would be made to existing arrangements at Otaki, which catered I lor female patients only, said the act-ing-chairman, Mr. D. D. Simpson {(Hunterville). Ultimately it was i hoped to buikl a new sanatorium I somewhere between Palmerston North and New Plymouth, in which case Otaki would become a sanatorium for children. The case of tuberculosis patients should be a charge on Social Security, said Mr. A. S. Coleman (Marton); who added that it was more of a national problem. “Unless we do more than wp have in the p;«t I don’t think we will stamp T.B. :*t of this country,” Mr. Coleman declared. “This is more or less a national scheme already, but with groups of hospital boards in control,” said Mr. Simpson. “If it. were purely a national scheme the boards would have no control. By grouping the boards you receive Social Security and spread the cost over a number of bodies.”

"We have a duty to perform and we should do it,” said Mr. Kincaid. With other members he thanked Messrs. Broderick and Simpson, who represented the Wanganui Hospital Board at the conference. The medical superintendent, Dr. H. Il Widdowson. said that Dr. W. A. |Priest, who had been appointed tuberculosis officer for the board's district. I would conduct fortnightly clinics in Wanganui, and clinic at intervals in