Garth George: Our health camps ought to stick to what they do best

COMMENT


Back in the dark ages of the later 1940s and early 1950s when I went to primary school, from time to time it came to the attention of my friends and me that a few kids at the school had been chosen to go to a health camp.

Invariably this was talked about in whispers with a bit of nudge, nudge, wink, wink. But we watched with great interest for the return of these kids from an experience that was not open to us.

And most of them came back to school heavier, healthier, cleaner, more confident, more outgoing and ready to participate more fully in school life.

They didn't talk about their experience - at least not to those whose families were better-off - but even at that age we recognised that health camps must be good and were vaguely disappointed that we couldn't go, too.

I was reminded of that at the weekend by Jonathan Milne's excellent article in the Herald on Sunday on the plight of today's health camps, headed "Sick health camps need care".

And was astounded to read that the Children's Health Camps, which have been a worthwhile and effective feature of the New Zealand landscape since 1919, were in such a parlous state.

That the Gisborne camp, which caters for some 200 children a year, is about to fall down round the ears of its staff and guests; that the Otaki camp is nearing its use-by date; and that the future of all seven health camps is up for review.

That the name Children's Health Camps is now considered to be a misnomer because the organisation is no longer focused on children, health and camps, but on the social need of families in the community.

And I was stunned to read that the terms of reference for the review will discuss whether the organisation should continue to provide both residential care and community work, or simply put more field workers in homes.

Surely this can't be true. Surely those in the business must realise that the principal benefit of health camps is to remove children from their inadequate homes and neighbourhoods to places of fresh air and discipline and proper hygiene, plentiful, healthy food and structured activities, which they could never get at home.

Surely they understand that giving these children time out in such a way has over the years changed the lives of many young New Zealanders, has given them an opportunity to see a new vision and, perhaps, rise above the stifling influence of an underprivileged home life.

But no. According to health camps chief executive Dr Fiona Inkpen, "overseas experts" are not convinced of the benefits of residential care for children, although she concedes such care still works well for New Zealand.

Well I say bugger the overseas so-called experts. Their theoretical opinions aren't worth the breath it takes to express them and they should be recognised for what they are - absolute nonsense- and ignored.

After all, it was overseas so-called experts who led our homegrown so-called experts into doing away with residential care for the mentally ill and trying to deal with them in the community, an experiment which has largely been an expensive failure and has left mental health services in dangerous disarray.

And it is ironic that today's so-called experts, in both the United States and Britain, are recommending that institutional facilities be reopened or new ones built so large numbers of mentally ill people who can't cope in the community can be given time out.

On Tuesday in this newspaper we were told, yet again, that one-third of our children live in poverty, a figure I find it hard to get my head around.

And I remembered, once again, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ - he who said, "Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven" - when he told his disciples, "The poor you will have with you always ... "

It might pay to remind ourselves at this point that God has a very special place in his heart for children and that we abuse them, misuse them, neglect them or fail to provide for them at our eternal peril.

And that if we lead them astray, we put ourselves in line for the harshest of divine retribution. Said Jesus: "It is be better [for that person] that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the depths of the sea."

Yes, there will always be poor among us, no matter how benevolent and open-handed a Government or how concerned and charitable a community. There is no way known to man - and I suspect there never will be - to do away with poverty completely.

But there are many who can be helped and who will accept help. Among them have been countless thousands of parents who have allowed their children to go off to health camps. Obviously there are still hundreds of such parents today.

So the Children's Health Camps organisation needs to get back to it roots, spend its $13 million reserves on rebuilding those camps that need it and building new ones, confine its homework to appropriate follow-up, and thumb its nose at the dozy overseas theoreticians and any in New Zealand who might be like-minded.

To do otherwise would be loopy.

* Email Garth George