SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23880, 24 February 1943, Page 2

SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS

GOVERNMENT’S VIEW

ACTION TO INCREASE NUMBERS (P.A.) DUNEDIN, Feb. 23. After a meeting with the sub-com-mittee of the Otago University Council which was appointed to consider the number of students to be admitted to the Medical School, the Minister of Education (the Hon. H. G. R-Mason) and the Minister of Health (the Hon. A H. Nordmeyer) to-day issued a joint statement. Their visit, the Ministers said, had been occasioned by public protests which followed the announcement of the restriction of the number of entrants to the Medical School to 100. ' “It is true that the Director-General of Health some years ago estimated that 70 graduates would be sufficient to satisfy the normal requirements of the Dominion,” the Mimsters said. It is obvious however, that whatever justification there might be in normal circumstances for restricting the number of admissions to the Medica School on that basis, such restrictions could not be justified at the present tlr “The view of the Government is that notwithstanding the return to practice of those doctors who are now serving with the Armed Forces, there will be a serious shortage ot medical men in the post-war P Accordingly at this stage every effor should be made to increase the flow of students into the Medical School in order that the deficiency may be met as soon as possible by New Zealand graduates rather than by the entry of doctors from overseas. Increase to 120 Likely “The meeting with the staff of the Medical School and with the sub-com-mittee of the council has been very fruitful. It is likely as a result that the council will agree to mcrease the number of entrants this year to 120.” . . It appeared, the Minister said, that this was the utmost limit to which existing staff accommodation and facilities could be taxed. The effect of the extension would be the admission this year of all who had passed the medical intermediate examination in 1942 with 11 exceptions. “The whole question of the future training of medical students,” the Ministers concluded, “will be thoroughly investigated at an early date so that adequate steps can be taken to deal with a possible increase in future.” _ At a special meeting of the University Council in the afternoon the matter was fully discussed and it was decided, in view of an , assurance of assistance given by the Minister, to accept the whole number of qualified applicants, including those who passed in the February special examination, with the execution of those who failed to lodge their applications by the prescribed date and five students who were'otherwise, for various Reasons, ineligible.