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liability to recurrent epidemics,
were at the further forward than we beginning of July last, when this request was made by the sisters and backed up Medical by the leading Government Officers.
• was.
pro-
Now that answer discloses a very strange state of affairs, for it shows that at the beginning of July last, long before our very long and trying summer had come to an end, the strain and stress of
It seems to be admitted, Sir, work amongst the sisters of the Govern- ment Civil Hospital was such that they although one has not had a long time to took a strong and very unusual step in study it, in answer to my question 2 that petitioning for an increase to be made probationers do require a considerable in their numbers, giving definite reasons amount of supervision during their first for asking for that increase, but reasons year of employment as probationers, and which the Government has thought fit to therefore, Sir, I wholly fail to see how,
these circumstances, two withhold from the cognisance of this under Council and from the cognisance of the bationers could have been considered, outside public. That request of the fairly and properly, an efficient substitute sisters did not stand alone, for it was for two trained nurses out from home. With regard to the two sisters having backed up and supported by the recom- mendation of the two leading Government recently married, we are informed in the Medical Officers, namely, the Super- answers given to my questions just now, intendent of the Government Civil that the place of one of them only has Hospital and the Principal Civil Medical been filled up, and so far as I can see the Officer. And one would have imagined Government has avoided answering part that only one answer could possibly have of my sixth question on that subject Part of my sixth question been given to the request of the sisters, altogether.
How long before such marriages backed up as it was by the recommenda- tions of the two leading Government | did the Government know that they would and not the smallest officers a telegram promptly sent home to take place? the Colonial Nursing Institute for the attempt has been made on the part of the dispatch of two sisters from England. Government to answer that question, and We are now told, however, that nothing it is not unfair to assume that no attempt of that sort was done, and that your has been made because no attempt can Excellency decided to disregard that reasonably be made to show why they did request of the sisters and the recommenda- not take the prompt steps which they tions of the medical officers of the ought to have done to fill both these Government and, instead to engage two vacancies as soon as they knew that they were likely to occur. I should very much probationer nurses in the place of two trained and qualified nurses from home. like to know, Sir-we are told that the I sent in a question, Sir, to be answered second vacancy will be filled by a sister at this meeting, asking for what reason who is expected at the end of June~when that decision was arrived at, and although it was known that the second sister was that question has been ruled out, I am going to be married, and what steps were still not without hope that some explana- taken to fill up the vacancy; whether tion of that decision will be forthcoming steps were taken by letter or telegram to this afternoon, and that it may be given fill her place There is an attempt made, for the benefit of the members of this Sir, in answering my fourth question to Council and the outside public. It is, suggest that it is put under considerable I listened very care- of course, cheaper to obtain probationers misapprehension. than trained nurses, but in this matter fully at the time of the answer to that efficiency ought surely to have been question, and I fail to realise on what It preferred to economy, and surely the strength that statement is made. promptest action ought to have been taken seems to me that a good deal of the 10 remedy the evil instead of the answer to that question is wholly and periodical and wholly fruitless advertise- entirely outside the scope of that fourth As regards the number of ments for probationers which are set out question. in the answers given to me to-day to my probationers in the Government Civil first question. The net result of what has Hospital, apparently it is very short. been done, Sir, is that ten months of time Apparently there are two probationers in has been absolutely and entirely wasted, the Government Civil Hospital out of a the at the total
contemplated in and
find ourselves beginning of another hot season, with its
We
now,
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of
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our
last. I am wrong.
There were four on adverse and hostile spirit instead of the 23rd of October last and there were taking the unofficial members into their two on the 23rd of April, 1914. In other counsel and co-operation. Sir, in words, Sir, apparently during the last making this motion and in pressing it, six months, instead of having seven the unofficial members are pursuing what probationers, our number of probationers they consider to be the cause of justice has dwindled down from four to two. and right The overworking of With reference to the answer to my employees is at all times to be deprecated, seventh question, I should have thought and more especially is it so when applied it would have been possible to answer it to women who are conscientiously engaged in some reasonably intelligent fashion in a trying climate in combatting disease and not in the way in which it is and in nursing the sick. To these women answered. If the maximum number of the public of the Colony owes a deep debt particulars could not have been given, of gratitude, and it is in the hope of I should have thought at all events that discharging part of that debt, by the some approximate figure could have been lightening of their labours, and by given. I am inundated with a whole improving the conditions under which number of figures in connection with the they serve, that this present motion is military women and children, but I must now being made. confess, Sir, that notwithstanding the fact of my being swamped with these figures at a moment's notice, and being a mere ordinary man, that I fail to see how an extra 280 women and children could fail to give some extra work to the nursing staff. The answer given to-day is practically to the effect that such a trifling matter as that cannot possibly make any difference at all. I can only say that I fail to appreciate the force of that argument. There is another point, Sir, which I think ought to be mentioned | in connection with the work of the Government Civil Hospital, and that is the fact that of late years plague cases which used to be dealt with at the Kennedy Town Hospital are being treated at the Government Civil Hospital. And these cases, Sir, with the liability of the unfortunate patients who suffer from plague to become delirious, are calculated obviously to cause a special anxiety, and to impose a special strain upon the nursing sisters.
There is also the fact, Sir, suggested in the speech made by my hon. friend representing the Chamber of Commerce on the 23rd of October last, that sisters were engaged in maternity cases at the same time as they were engaged on other cases. That is surely a matter which urgently calls for remedy, especially as the maternity hospital is situate at some considerable distance from the Government Civil Hospital itself. Sir, I very much deprecate the way in which my questions have been answered in this matter. I think it is very much to be regretted that in this as in many other cases the Government of this Colony has treated the unofficial members in an
HON. MR. HEWETT-Your Excellency, I have very much pleasure in seconding the motion brought forward by my hon. and learned friend opposite. The motion, as we are all aware, is practically follow- ing up a request made by me at the request of my unofficial colleagues six months ago or more, in reply to the budget speech last autumn. Perhaps it would be as well to emphasise the point, because I doubt if it is really thoroughly understood that in bringing forward this the unofficial motion, in speaking as members have spoken on the question of the nurses of this Colony, we are not only speaking on behalf of ourselves, but we have a very large following in the Colony to support us, and to justify the motion I am quite satis- now brought forward. find in my own mind that we are thor- oughly justified in pressing this home, and I can only regret that the Govern- ment up to the present moment have not taken, not only the unofficial members, but the whole of the ratepayers of the Colony into their confidence. I think this should be done. I think the Government has been remiss in this matter. ing as they should that there was this feeling, they should have told us exactly what their reasons were for taking the steps they have. Had they done so, the moving of this motion would have been unnecessary. It is comparatively recent- ly that we have had this demand for It was trained lady nurses from home. practically an innovation up to the last quarter of a century, but we must deal with things as they are, and not as they It may possibly be urged that this were. is a small Colony: it is not very wealthy,
Know-
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