CALLS ON DOCTORS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 87, 23 January 1942, Page 6

CALLS ON DOCTORS

EFFECT OF ARMY SERVICE. SERIOUS POSITION ARISES. AUCKLAND, Jan. 22. The great difficulties under ay Inch the depleted body of doctors in Auckland is carrying on Chilian Avork now that many practitioners have been mobilised for an. indefinite period Avith the defence forces are described in flat ate moil t issued by the president oi the Auckland Division of tbe British Medical Association (Dr. A. Eisdell Moore) on behalf of his executive. The executive is very perturbed regarding the provision of adequate medical services for many parts of Auckland. There are now a large number of Auckland doctors serving with the forces overseas, and for some months all the remaining doctors have been working at high pressure. Many of these men have, in addition to carrying on prac tice, * gone into camp for varying lengths of time to act as medical officers for territorial units. Now that these territorial units have been mobilised many of the younger and most active members of the profession have of necessity had to he mobilised also, and it is obvious that the general public Avill be unable to receive the same degree cf medical service as in the past. In some of the older established suburbs such as Parnell, Epsom, and Remuern there is a higher proportion of more elderly doctors and the position is not so acute, but in the more recently-developed areas of Dominion Road and Mount- Albert the position is most serious. Before the Avar there Avere six doctors residing on the new North Road engaged in general practice. Three of these were carrying on work until the .recent mobilisation, and all three are now in camp. Similarly there Avere five doctors residing on Dominion Road and only tAvo now remain in practice, and of these one is senior surgeon at the hospital, which greatly limits the time available for outside work. Thus a large residential area of Dominion Road, to Mount Albert, is almost devoid of resident medicai men.

“Viewed with Great Concern. ’’ “The executive vieAA-s the position with great concern,” says the statement. “No one can deny that a state of emergency exists in New Zealand and that the medical needs of the military must come first. The A.D.M.S. of the district can see no prospect of the early release of the doctors Avho have been called up, hut the medical needs of the civilian still remain and though the population to. )>e cared for may be someAvhat smaller, it is the fit men Avho have gone into camp and the less robust, aged, and children Avho remain.

“The executiA'e feels that some steps must he taken to help doctors Avho have now to struggle Avith a huge increase of work. The executive therefore suggests, first, that the-present position should be made knoAvn to the public in. the hope that the public Avill co-operate by - refraining from seeking medical advice for minor ailments and by notifying the doctor as early as possible in, the day Avhen, the visit is required, and, second, it ; s suggested that- the Auckland Hospital Board he asked to help the profession by increasing the present service of visiting nurses so that persons unable to- obtain the services of a doctor could be seen by a nurse Avho Avould report to the doctor the nature and urgency of the call.

“It is hoped that the Hospital Board Avill also help the profession to establish a scheme by AV-hich some doctor would, be available for all urgent night calls throughout the city. The executive feels that medical men can and Avill work A*ery long hours to help in this emergency, but that unless adequate rest at night is possible there Avill he a further breakdown in the number of doctors available for routine Avork. Tile executive believes that the profession could co-operate Avith the hospital in the establishment of such a night service.”

THE POSITION IN WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, Jan. 22. “Wo fool the same as the medical profession in Auckland. The number of Wellington doctors has been, very seriously depleted, and quite candidly I do not know how wc are going to carry on. The situation must also bo a very worrying one for the Minister for Health,” commented Dr. S. Rhind, general secretary of the Wellington branch of the British Medical Association, to-night. Dr. Rhind said that Wellington was facing the same problem as Auckland, and all doctors were greatly overworked, with no prospect of relief. Large numbers of men mobilised as territorial personnel under the latest call-up bad to be medically examined, and this would aggravate the position. After completing a professional round to-day, said Dr. Rhind, he had been engaged for some hours to-night examining Emergency Fire Service volunteers. The same applied to other doctors at this centre. It was suggested by Dr. Rhind th?it the quota of doctors required for active routine duties with the Territorial Force could quite reasonably be reduced, leaving them available to carry on civilian practice. They could be regarded as “doctors in uniform.”

He agreed that having one doctor available all night for urgent calls would give other practitioners a chance to secure something like adequate rest.