AIDING DISABLED

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 October 1946, Page 8

AIDING DISABLED

AUSTRALIAN MISSION

METHODS IN DOMINION

Auckland, Sept. 24. The community and civic interest shown throughout New Zealand in the training and welfare of disabled ex-servicemen is regarded as most impressive by the five members of an Australian mission which has been investigating the rehabilitation methods practised in New Zealand. The party arrived in Auckland on Saturday on the last stage of their Dominion tour and expect to return to Sydney by air to-morrow.

Members of the mission are Dr. J. B. D. Galbraith, Co-ordinator of Rehabilitation in the Ministry of PostWar Reconstruction, Dr. C. C. Minty, deputy-Principal Medical Officer of the Repatriation Commission, Captain A. W. Joyce, executive ollicer of the Department of Post-war Reconstruction, Mr. E. Eltham, Director of Industrial Training in the Department of Labour and National Service, and Mr. R. Marsh, ollicer in charge of the rehabilitation section of the Commonwealth Employment Service. The mission arrived in New Zealand by air on September 10 and 11. Dr. Galbraith said yesterday that the results of the mission’s investigations would be presented in a report to the Australian Government. They had received the greatest assistance in New Zealand and, in addition to discussing rehabilitation with the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr. Skinner, and officers of the Rehabilitation Department, the Social Security Department and the War Pensions Branch, they had visited Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington, ana had seen various aspects of rehabilitation in pract.ce. They had also been in close contact with the Returned Services Association and the Disabled Servicemen's Re-establishment League. The latter was undertaking a task in which they had been particularly interested. "We have examined the general question of treating ex-servicemen's physical handicaps in civilian hospitals as opposed to the Australian system of military hospitals," Dr. Galbraith stated. "We have been also most impressed by the work being undertaken by the Disabled Servicemen's Re-establishment League at the training centres for the severely disabled. The co-operalion and interest shown by the whole community in this work quite apart from the departments and organisations primarily and directly concerned, is most striking."