Polio Nonsense

Disorganisation of Transport Services

THE Health Department of the South Pacific Commission would achieve some really useful service to the South Pacific Islands if it could persuade the various medical organisations to adopt some general rule, and display some practical commonsense, in imposing quarantine relating to Poliomyelitis.

Polio is not a new disease. Probably, it always has been with us. All that has happened in recent years is that medical science now can identify it more readily— formerly, it was confused with various other somewhat similar diseases caused by a virus.

The method of carrying the infection, however, is as great a mystery to-day as ever it was. This month, in New South Wales, the experts are arguing that domestic fowls are the usual conveyors.

There have been countless instances, in Australia, the Pacific Islands, and else where, of the disease appearing, without rhyme or reason, at widely scattered points between which there has been no apparent connection, and which had not been in contact with any known possible carrier.

But, in the Pacific Islands, the very mention of Polio seems to create a sort of panic, and the medical czars immediately clamp on the sort of quarantine that they successfully employ against fatal plagues and poxes. With Polio, this does not appear to accomplish anything. There have been cases of Polio reported; but it has not been shown that the incidence of the disease in the tropical Islands has ever been controlled by quarantine regu lations.

TO-DAY, at the first suggestion that a ship has come from a port where there is Polio, the Islands officials impose a ruthless quarantine, with the result that both shipping and merchants ire caused much inconvenience and ex pense. Officials, when riding high on -heir particular species of authority, generally have little regard for the feelings if private nersons or the convenience of irivate enterprise; but at least some effort should be made to show how useless such 'estrictions are.

Last month, the liner Chang Chow, carrying on the Messageries Maritimes service between Marseilles and Sydney, via Panama, called at Papeete. There have )een some Polio cases in Tahiti.

So. immediately the ship left Papeete, he health officials in Noumea became janicky, and announced that, if the Chang mow came to Noumea—for which port he had many passengers and much cargo -she would have to go into quarantine or three weeks. So the Chang Chow :ut out Noumea and went directly to Sydney, spent a week there, and then went lirect to Noumea, as her first port of call m her return trip. She thus filled in the luarantine period demanded by Noumea.

Noumea’s medical honour was satisfied, .nd the ship proceeded as per schedule.

But the shipping line had to bear the ost of carrying the Noumea passengers nd cargo right across to Sydney, and ack to Noumea. And Polio cases are be rig reported every day or two in Sydney ity and the adjoining countryside. Could nything be more absurd?

Similar cases occur regularly in relation 3 other South Pacific ports. Western iamoa seems to have periodic fits of ex itement over Polio. Someone there pro osed to keep Captain P. G. Taylor’s trail reakmg Frigate Bird II out of Apia, ecause he had called at Papeete; but aat plan was cancelled on curt instruc ions from Wellington.

The two biggest Territories—Fiji and Papua-New Guinea—on the other hand, have interfered very little with overseas transport, on Polio grounds, although they handle a much heavier volume of traffic.

And, except for a brief outbreak in Eastern Fapua, they have had no Polio. Their Governments have shown more common sense.

Medical officers probably have no more difficult job than that of applying quaran tine. If they let commonsense rule their decisions, they are as likely as not to be made a scapegoat by some political panjandrum at headquarters. One cannot blame them for sticking to the letter of the regulations.

Here, in the application of quarantine in relation to Polio, is a job right at hand for the South Pacific Commission. A little commonsense, and a lot of co ordination, are called for.

Urgent Case In Honiara

A special chartered plane left Sydney on May 12, with iron-lung equipment for Guadalcanal, BSI, where a senior official was reported dangerously ill, with Polio.

The New Golden Hind has been over hauled and refitted in Auckland and left that port for a year’s cruise among the Pacific Islands in April. The new owners, of the ketch are Mr. Athol Rusden and Mr. R. Baker. There are eight men in the crew, two of them Americans.

The 300-ton motor-vessel Kelanoa went up on a reef off New Ireland on May 6.

She was still there hard and fast several days later.