MEN FOR SERVICE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 85, 21 January 1942, Page 6

MEN FOR SERVICE

MINOR PHYSICAL DEFECTS. REMEDIAL TREATMENT RECEIVED. MANY NOW CLASSED AS FIT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Nearly 8000 men who were formerly rejected for military service because of minor physical defects are now being reconsidered and over 3000 have received remedial treatment while over 1100 were found to have recovered good health when examined, stated the Minister fov Health (the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer) to-day. The doctors and hospitals were co-operating splendidly and of 11,749 cases that so fat come under review by medical hoards only 347, or about three per cent, were still to be dealt with, and only 48 or about 1.4 per cent of 3272 recommended for hospital treatment had not yet been admitted. Much more had been done than the public realised and in no case he was aware of how lack of hospital accommodation or the shortage of medical men held up this very necessary wbrk. All the public hospitals had been instructed to give these cases priority. At present only certain relatively minor conditions were being treated.

The procedure was for the regional deputy to go through the files of all men in his area that had been classified as grade 1A or 2, and select those he thought might respond to remedial treatment and who would, at the termination of that treatment, be likely to be classed as fit for active service in any part of the world. These men were then examined personally by thb whole medical board. If there were any disagreement among members of the board the case was not proceeded with, but where the board unanimous- - ly recommended treatment the man was admitted to a hospital without delay, but not before he was re-examined and his file thoroughly reconsidered by the regional deputy. Most hospitals especially in large centres, were now restricting the admission of civilians to urgent cases, and all had set aside a number of beds for this and other emergency purposes.

Up to present 11,479 files had been examined by regional deputies, who had selected 7544 for further consideration. When these men came before the medical boards again 1123 were regraded 1 without treatment and were immediately made available for military service. Of the balance, 3488 were recommended for remedial treatment. and 1975 were not recommended, leaving 347 still to be dealt with by the medical boards and 611, all volunteers, who failed to attend for reexamination. The enlistments of these 611 were cancelled and their names reported to the Director of National Service for inclusion in the Reserve in order that they should be called up by ballot. The total of 3488 recommended for remedial treatment was cut down to 3272 and these men were then dealt with in the following manner: Received in-patient treatment 1672; received outpatient treatment 1442; now under treatment, in-patients S 3, out-patients 97; failed to report and now under action by the Army 110; not yet dealt with 48; total 3432. This total is larger than the number of men involved as some received both in and out-patient treatment. It was not possible to give a complete picture of the results of these steps, said the Minister. In addition to 1123 regraded 1 on re-examination 1425 emerged as completely fit after treatment, so that 254 S extra men have been made available for overseas service in this manner. A large number of men were classed as fit for home defence and posted to the Territorial Force but the exact number of these could not be given without going through a large number of individual files. There was no doubt, however, that a high proportion of men treated had so far been lifted out of the class of military unusables.