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Vic Students Are Health Wise

Victoria students appear to be more health conscious than their counterparts in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin.

Dr. Fleming, director of the newly established Student Health Service reports that to date over 600 students have applied for interviews. This compares favourably with the response made in the first year of operation at other universities where the average response was about 250 students. This response was also far greater than expected by the management committee of the Students Association, who were expecting 250 at the outside.

Dr. Fleming reports the service is able to interview approximately 25 students a week, so many students will not yet be notified of their appointment. At this rate he hopes to have completed the interviews by the end of next term, having seen part-timers during the May Vacation. The service is being hindered by students failing to keep their appointments, he added.

Students have the benefit of the service free since the Association provides the facilities, and the Health Department is paying the doctors.

The service is also interested in investigating the living conditions, food, and accommodation of the typical student. Dr. Fleming added the ideal in his eyes is a more extensive system of hostels, with much more adequate regulation of living conditions and standards of food.

At this stage Dr. Fleming said he could not make any concrete observations on the general standard of students' health. He did add however, that in his opinion students would be well advised to take more exercise than they appear to be at the present time.

In conclusion, he added that students who have no regular doctor in Wellington should note that Dr. Gray is available to provide general medical services, with Dr. Fleming as his stand-in when he is not available.