X=RAY FOR TROOPS

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21033, 8 February 1940, Page 8

X=RAY FOR TROOPS

1300 FROM HOPU HOPU TASK AT WAIKATO HOSPITAL NORMAL WORK DISLOCATED About 1300 soldiers from the Hopu Hopu military camp are required to undergo chest X-ray examination and large numbers will visit the Waikato Plospital each day until the task is completed. To-day 120 men were Xrayed. The result is that the facilities at the hospital have been taxed to the utmost, despite the fact that a new plant has been installed and additional staff engaged. The army requirements had rather dislocated the normal hospital services in this department, said Dr. R. S. A. Graham, director of surgery, when speaking at the meeting of the Waikato Hospital to-day. During the next fortnight only urgent X-ray examinations of civilian cases could be undertaken at the hospital. New Plant Installed The task of examining the recruits was a big undertaking, and the matter had been made one of urgency by the Army authorities. The Waikato Hospital Board had installed new Xray equipment to the value of £BO or £9O in order to cope with the military requirements. In other military camps in New Zealand, said Dr. Graham, the Xraying of troops had been accomplished in the camps with plant installed by the military authorities. As the Hopu Hopu camp might not be permanent, however, no X-ray plant had been acquired, and the hospital had been asked to undertake the work. The board had decided to charge the Army authorities 10s for every soldier X-rayed with an additional charge a head of 3s 9d or 4s for X-ray films. Cabinet, Dr. Graham said, had refused to authorise that amount. The board agreed to-day to -accept 12s 6d for every soldier, the payment to include the cost of the examination and of the films.