Report of the Department of Health / New Zealand.

  • New Zealand. Department of Health.
Date:
[1965]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Department of Health / New Zealand. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/112 (page 20)
    that the contract is approved by the medical officer of health. This approval is confined to contracts which provide that the doctor shall, in addition to dealing with the initial treatment of casualties in the undertaking, carry out pre-employment examinations, examinations of men returning from sick leave and subject to special risk, and other preventive medical functions as laid down in the duties of industrial medical officers by the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association. The table shows that there are now 34 doctors providing medical service to 40 industrial units of whom 27, serving 30 units, are on approved contract. The approximate number of workers covered by the industrial medical officers on approved contract is 19,994, while the other doctors cover 3,909 workers, giving a total medical coverage of 23,903 workers. Seventy-one nurses are employed in industry, 67 of them full time. These nursing services cover 50,300 workers. The table also shows the number of factories registered in 1964 sub¬ divided according to the number of employees and the distribution of the medical and nursing services among those groups. It is not surprising that these services are provided chiefly in the larger units. Of the 20,189 factories with up to 200 employees, six have some medical coverage and five employ nurses. Of the 100 factories with between 201 and 500 employees, 33 have nursing and 17 medical service. Managements of larger factories that have no service should now consider whether they should provide the services that the majority of their group have found to be an advantage. The difference between the numbers of doctors and nurses employed also needs attention on the part of those providing only nursing services. The value of a nurse is greatly enhanced if she is working with a doctor, and there are very real advantages to be gained from the institution of pre-employment medical examinations both to management and to workers. (b) Industrial Health Centres While no definite figures are available, it is calculated that these clinics cover at least 28,000 workers, chiefly on the waterfront and in smaller factories. Details of treatments given in 1964 are given in table 13 of the appendix. No further clinics were opened during the year although planning for a new clinic at New Lynn, Auckland, reached an advanced stage. It is also hoped to provide a temporary clinic at Onehunga to assess the need for a permanent clinic if a suitable site can be found. The accommodation of the Queens Wharf clinic, Auckland, was enlarged and altered during the year, and much better facilities are now provided. (c) First Aid Although about a quarter of all factory workers are now covered by nursing services provided either by private industry or by industrial health centres, facilities for first aid in the remaining factories and work¬ places are far from satisfactory. A survey indicating this was completed in 1964.* It is apparent that occupiers of factories not employing nurses must give greater attention to the provision and siting of first-aid *Special Report No. 19, Survey of Factory First Aid 1963-64.