Protest About Heart Machine Restriction

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29800, 17 April 1962, Page 16

Protest About Heart Machine Restriction

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN, April 16. The Otago Hospital Boar) today decided to purcnas Dunedin’s heart-lung rnach ine with the Masonic gif funds “under the stronges protest’’ as to the restric tions imposed against its us on humans for open hear surgery. It was decided to by-pas the Department of Healtl and make “further and con tinued representations” t< the Minister of Health <M McKay) for the establish ment of a cardiac unit at th Dunedin Hospital, in eon junction with the OtagMedical School. “The Minister and hi bureaucrast have, to use i metaphor, forced this boan to look a gift horse in th mouth, which if not actual!; insulting to us and th doners of the gift, is certain!? most embarrassing,” said M H. L. Gibson.

“Through Ministerial direction we must now go to the donors of the gift and ask them to approve the conditions—not imposed by us. but by someone else. “One condition is that the machine is, in certain cases only to be used on animals. Had we a veterinary school here that particular decision might be understandable but

other Ministerial decisions took care of that.” The chairman, Dr. J. Fulton, maintained that the prohibition against use on humans in the meantime was “not as serious as it sounds,” for even if the machine arrived immediately it could hardly be operational for nearly a year and a decision on the location of a second cardiac unit should be made before then.