NATIONAL SCHEME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 181, 1 August 1936, Page 16

NATIONAL SCHEME.

"FLYING DOCTOR" SERVICE. EXTENSION IN AUSTRALIA. (liy Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. Information that the authorities in Australia have decided to nationalise the "flying doctor" services was given by Dr. C. F. Morkane, of Christchurch, who arrived in Wellington from Sydney by the Wanganella to-day. The iervice is to be under the control of each State and is to be subsidised by the Federal Government.

Briefly, the scheine as explained by Dr. Morkane provides for the building of a base hospital in eacli central town where tho flying doctor is stationed. In the more isolated areas a cottage hospital in charge of nurses will be opened, and in still more remote districts radio sets for receiving and transmitting calls will bo set up. The whole system, when in operation, will cover Australia as no service not assisted by air an.? radio could do. By the inter-linking of radio, landing fields and hospitals, the services of a doctor will be available at all times.

At present the flying doctor services are operating as the result of individual efforts. One of them is run by a missionary and others by doctors in outlying parts. It is the intention of the authorities to incorporate these in the now national service and to add to them.

Dr. Morkane pointed out that it was not nccessary that all doctors in • the flying service should be qualified pilots. An aeroplane, probably of the ambulance type such **s i in operation in New Zealand, and a pilot where necessary, would be at the disposal of the doctor at each base aerodrome.