Meeting The [?]

Letter to the Editor

Problem

In The Cook Is

Mr. W. H. Percival, An ]

ployee of the Cook Islands’ ministration, presented ’ official “authorised version” of' Cook Islands TB situation in tober PIM.

The facts and figures preset in my July article were supplied the field officers most closely a. ciated with the anti-TB campx in those islands. Without disput Mr. Percival’s figures, I repeat as of June these officers were say the least, highly critical of: measures and methods for mees the situation. These were linn by available funds.

My July suggestion was ths very great deal could be done to < prove the deplorable health sii tion—the facts on it are well dil mented in a number of medical ports of recent years—by utilisii. portion of the present £l,OOOl allocated annually by New Zeal) to the Colombo Plan. My sugges was that New Zealand’s own isle territories should have first prio. on any such funds.

The TB situation could be rapidly brought under control in Cooks, as it has been in New J land, by isolating all active o as a first priority. While they ai treatment, which may or may ' arrive, the medical records : show that they are continuing infect other healthy members ofi usually overcrowded household! present the rate of infection almost certainly a good deal hip than the rate of cure.

No elaborate and expensive bu ings and skilled staff wouldf called for. The very simples? open barracks, constructed a£ community effort on each islf from mainly local materials, m suffice. Only surgical patients those on special treatment w go to the Rarotonga sanatorium Treatment and care of all oti would not call for any skilled s The ideal situation may be i bed rest; but patients held un the supervision of a few cap! male and female nursing aid:£ such isolation- barracks, while tainly obtaining a great deal n rest than they would ever ofcf at home, would fend for themse< to a great extent. This is stanu practice in most sanatoria.

They would rise for their rrr and toilet; the fitter patients m sweep out the quarters, pres vegetables and food for the H cooks, and generally assiss skeleton staff of medical aids. TI would have to be selected mainly

ability to maintain order and ine. t of the funds would be ex i on certain fortifying food like full-cream milk powder, m the necessary drugs for ient. A staff of half-a-dozen e but unskilled Islanders easily be able to care for ds of a hundred patients, i without anything like full st most patients would im through a regular diet, and — mportant—they would not be ng others. dll be remarkable indeed if ; situation in the Cook Islands ught under control on the if present annual expenditure ainly home treatment, emparatively heavy expendi rer a comparatively few years prove far less costly in the un. Certainly lives would be which are going to be lost the present programme, and others would be saved from en. linly, too, the general health en in the Cook Islands, as d in reports which have re scant publicity, is far more than a reading of the Cook > Annual Report or Mr. il’s October article would s believe.

I am, etc.,

J. P. Shortall.

nd, NZ, r 31, 1956.