Operation Whoop

New Role for Qantas Plane

From Our Own Correspondent

Honiara, July 27.

THIRTY children from European, Chinese and native families in Honiara were taken on an hour’s flight at 10,000 feet above the township in the Qantas plane that arrived here on July 25.

All the young passengers were whoop ing-cough sufferers and the plane was chartered by Honiara Central Hospital.

High-altitude flight is the latest overseas technique for taking the whoop out of whooping-cough—although it is not claimed that it arrests the course of the disease. In affording this relief to the young victims the local medical depart ment is doing its best for our native population which is, of course, particu larly susceptible to epidemic European diseases An epidemic of whooping-cough is sweeping BSI and a number of deaths among the natives, principally children, have occurred in the past few weeks.

The origin of the outbreak is mysterious; it has been widespread on Malaita, where one of the first cases has been since traced back to a remote village as early as mid-March. In Honiara, cases have occurred among police, prison and labour personnel. There have been four deaths of children belonging to families of Solomon Islander members of the Central Hospital staff.

Children of the Chinese community are practically 100 per cent, affected but not in such a serious form as in the local Solomon Islander and Euronesian families.

Four of the 14 European children in Honiara have contracted the disease to date.