NATIONAL HEALTH AND B.M.A.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 221, 19 September 1938, Page 8

NATIONAL HEALTH AND B.M.A.

In a leader on the National Health Service you stated: "The onus is upon the Government of proving beyond reasonable doubt that the change will be one for the better and not for the worse." That prevention of disease is better than cure cannot be disputed. Yet what inducement, under the present system, has the medical profession to teach people how to prevent sickness? Xone whatever. While I am in good health my doctor gets no income from me. His income begins when I become 6ick, and the longer I am ill the more money he gets out of me. Medical men, like any other professions, have studied and qualified not because they are so deeply concerned to safeguard public health, but to make money out of their services (that is, out of public ill-health). Mankind is so used to pretence that sometimes to illustrate even simple facts is confusing. For instance, we do not think it at all strange Why medical mennever even attempt to teach the publie now to be healthy and prevent sickness; that although it only pays : them when we are ill, i <ve go to them to make us well. Most medical men do their best to cure people, but is it not straining human nature too much? A capable business man would never employ a man as a manager of his business if he knew that such a manager would profit if the business was to make a loss instead of a profit. Yet that is exactly what we ask doctors to do. Under the proposed Xational Health plan every doctor will receive a fixed yearly salary from the Government, and will ido his utmost to teach the people how to keep healthy, because the healthier his clients are the less work there will be for him to do. and he will still receive the same salary. This scheme will give doctors every inducement to teach people how to prevent sickness, to become healthy and strong, and to encourage prevention will minimise need for cure. I would also suggest there should be a provision in the Act that every doctor receives a bonus for any improvement in the health of the district under his care. AXTHOXIUS.