Tribute To Australian

"Efficiency"

Death of a New Guinea Baby

DUE to the complete and appalling dis organisation of hospital and medical services in New South Wales, a woman evacuee from the Mandated Ter ritory, Mrs. Ellen Burnet, had the ter rible experience on February 17, of seeing her child die in a casualty ward of St.

Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, after a 12hours’ fight to secure hospital treatment.

The 16-months-old baby had suffered mild whooping-cough, and on February 16 he went into a convulsion. A doctor sent Mrs. Burnet and the child to Ren wick Hospital in an ambulance; but this hospital “was under-staffed and had no accommodation for infectious cases.”

Children’s Hospital, Camperdown, refused admission —no accommodation. Mrs.

Burnet then took the child to her mother, at Potts Point, where it had another convulsion. They rang five doctors, and one advised them to go to St. Vincents.

St. Vincents had no accommodation either, but the child was taken to the casualty department, where a doctor rang the Board of Health and the Coast Hos pital—without result. At 2.30 a.m. on the following morning, the baby—still in the casualty ward—died.

This, presumably, is an example of how the nation has been “organised for total war” by Dedman and Co. The usual fatuous promises of a “public inquiry” have been made—so far without result— and Public Health authorities merely comment that only a third of the hospi tal beds necessary are available.

The child’s father is Mr. J. T. Bumet formerly of the Public Health Depart ment, Madang, TNG. At present he is serving as a Warrant-Officer in the New Guinea military forces.