FOR WORKERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 30, 6 February 1939, Page 11

FOR WORKERS.

SERVICE NEEDED.

" INDUSTRIAL " SURGEONS.

U.S. DOCTOR'S ADVICE.

There is room in New Zealand for the development of "industrial" surgery, in the opinion of Mr. David J. Jones, head physician for the City of Chicago, who is returning to the United States in the -lariposa after a holiday visit to the ■Dominion and Australia. \ou inut-ifc have surgeons who understand and specialise in the treatment of broken backs, fractured skulls and the many other ty[>cs of accident injuries suffered by municipal, State and industrial employees, and let them concentrate on this kind of work," said L)r. Jones to-day. l>'t me make it clear that I have the profoundest respect for the family physician; but to my mind he doesn't •jot. enough of thi-4 industrial work to understand it fullv."

Experience in other countries showed that thousands of pounds could be saved when industrial firms, municipal bodies and (Jovernnientri adopted a (surgical service for their employees, Dr. Jones added. The idoa was to have a number of specialists engaged almost wholly on this work, ready to attend to an accident case at a moment's notice.

"Suppose a road worker employed by the city crushes a finger while he is on the job," the doctor said. "It may only be a case for first-aid treatment, yet the patient may see in his injury an excuse to make a picnic of it and stay away from his work for three or four da vs.

"I nder an industrial surgery system, however, that couldn't happen. The man would lie attended to by a surgeon who. primarily, had th<* interests of the city at heart. He would treat hi* patient and make a report to the bead of the worker's department as to the seriousness. or otherwise of the injury. 'J"lie cost to employer** of losg of time and compensation payments can bo cut down in this way to a minimum."

J)r. Jones mentioned that such a system also protected the employer against exajgonation or even dishonesty on the part of employees. Every worker should go through a thorough physical examination before he was put on a job, so that if he later reported that he was suffering from the effects of an injury, the authorities would know whether his complaint was genuine or whether it was due to some physical defect which had always affected him.