TRAINING MIDWIVES

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22682, 9 August 1945, Page 4

TRAINING MIDWIVES

HOUSE DISCUSSES BILL (By Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Thursday Speaking in the debate on the Nurses and Midwives’ Bill in the House of Representatives last night, Mrs Hilda Ross (Opposition—Hamilton) said there was need for more training facilities for midwives. At present only about 60 midwives were trained annually in the four centres, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Invercargill. There had even been some suggestion that the Auckland training centre might be closed, whereas the need was for expansion of training facilities. Mrs Ross said that private maternity homes did excellent work. She thought women did not bother whether a maternity home was private or State-owned if it gave firstclass treatment. She added that she hoped the Minister would give more attention to war neurosis cases and their treatment. The Minister of Health, Mr Nordmeyer, said the Health Department had to maintain a balance between the training of midwives and of doctors. The Government was concerned to see that another medical school was made available for the purpose of training medical men, not merely undergraduates, but doctors who had been overseas and those in the country who wanted to undertake a refresher course. This new hospital would be established in Auckland.

Referring to war neurosis, Mr Nordmeyer said that all the best medical advice was against treating

such cases as problems and putting them in institutions. Medical authorities considered that the best treatment was to get them back to their normal environment, work, home and friends. The bill was read a second time and referred to the Public Health Committee.