MEDICAL SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 201, 26 August 1930, Page 15

MEDICAL SERVICE.

STATE CONTROL URGED.

ADVANTAGES OUTLINED,

• "We are governed soci-lly by Mrs. Grundy, who is to be held responsible for many of the diseases which afflict a civilised society," said Dr. J. P. Hastings, in,the course, of an address on '"Medical Service" at the Prince Edward . Theatre. There was a large attendance at the meeting, which was held under the auspices of the New Zealand Labour party. . The conspiracy of secrecy initiated by "Mrs. Grundy" was the most serious barrier against the spread of preventive instruction against disease, medical and physical, said Dr. Hastings. The conventional policy of suppressing certain facts kept the public in ignorance of social dangers, and militated against mental creative effort.. This was largely responsible for the present, high rate of insanity in New Zealand. ■ There was great need of improvement in the conditions of medical service, both for , the physician and the patient, said Dr. Hastings. He thought that a system of State control would present the best solution of the difficulty. The Public Health Department was doing, great work in the prevention of disease, .and this could be extended by a, system of instruction to the j)eople, and to school children especially, in the value of exercise, fresh air and diet. Correct dieting would mean the end of many diseases.

- 1 State control of the medical service would assure more efficient co-operation in the diagnosis of disease, said Dr. Hastings. The conditions under which doctors worked presented many difficulties. Though, every patient had a right to-medical attention, a check would have to be placed on the calls made upon a physician, and he thought that the. patient should pay for each visit. After certain period of treatment, the patient; would notify the district official, who would summon a specialist to confer with the local physician. This system of." consultation would ensure the position both of the-patient and the physician.

The local hospital would be the medical headquarters fcr the district, and every physician would be eligible for promotion to the rank of specialist. Trained by the State,, he would be given every opportunity to excel, and the medical service would be placed on a much sounder basis than at present.