SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 306, 8 October 1942, Page 5

SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS

EXAMINATION OF RECRUITS. REQUEST FOR RELEASE. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Because of complaints of a shortage of doctors the executive of the Canterbury Progress League last evening decided to request the Minister of Health (the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer) to relieve civilian doctors from duties of examining recruits. Tho secretary-organiser (Mr P. R. Climie) said that the Minister, on the league’s representations, had asked the Director-General of Health to report on tho position at Rangiora (where, it had previously been reported to the league, the medical services were inadequate). The Minister, he added, had also replied, stating that he could not accept as representative of the Dominion position the figures quoted by Mr Climie on the great increase in doctors’ prescriptions under the Social Security Scheme. Mr Climie said that ho had replied to the Minister stating that the figures did not purport to represent the Dominion, but that ho had had no figures indicating tho contrary. Ho had asked for such figures to he supplied, so that the public could be informed. Meanwhile, said Mr Climie, ICaiapoi had also written to t'he league requesting help in obtaining more medical services. He had had confirmation from Kaiapoi, incidentally, of the increase in doctors’ prescriptions, stated there to be t\vo or three times more numerous than previously. He had now been advisgd, he added, that the number of doctors serving in •military camps was greatly in excess of the needs of the Army, and it seemed that until an emergency arose there was no need to immobilise so many doctors at a time when their services were required by the civilian population. Iti had been suggested that civilian doctors he relieved of the work of examining recruits.