INTENSIVE TRAINING

Camp News (Northern Command), Volume 1, Issue 3, 17 May 1940, Page 7

INTENSIVE TRAINING

First General Hospital Unit & IN CAMP AT TRENTHAM The First New Zealand General Hospital, commanded by Colonel A. C. McKillop, 31.8., nearly 200 strong, will proceed overseas with the second echelon of the Expeditionary Force. The personnel of the hospital, with the exception of some of the nurses, has completed three months’ training at the Central District Mobilization Camp, at Trent ham.

For the past two months the unit has carried on the work of the camp hospital by which it has been possible to give medical orderlies and other personnel some experience of the work they are being trained to do. Colonel McKillop said in an interview that the general hospital had been very fortunate in the selection of personnel. A large number of the medical orderlies had had previous training in the work and that had, of course, resulted in improved efficiency in the whole- unit.

All ranks have attended a series of lectures dealing with the types of diseases and injuries they might be called upon to nurse, and also with hygiene, sanitation, administration, and many other special subjects related to the establishment and maintenance of, a large general military hospital. These lectures have been given in conjunction with demonstrations of and practice in bandaging, stretcher drill, the application of splints, hospital site selection, tent pitching, and many other practical phases of the unit’s work. In addition all personnel have passed through a course of ordinary soldierlug, .including squad drill, physical (raining, route marching, and so on.

During the past month a panel of lectures set clown to be given by' the specialist medical officers dealt with physiology, common diseases of the alimentary system, medical treatment of gas cases, typhus, and smallpox, tropical diseases, insect-borne diseases, diphtheria, Influenza, tropica! fevers, anaesthesia, diseases of the skin, general administration, and supplies. . ,