N.Z. HEALTH SCHEME

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29824, 17 May 1962, Page 3

N.Z. HEALTH SCHEME

“Lead To The World”

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SYDNEY, May 15. New Zealand’s health scheme, which began in 1939, had given a lead to the world in public health benefits, a New Zealander, Sir Douglas Robb, said today. Sir Douglas Robb, who is president of the British Medical Association, was on his way to Adelaide to attend the first annual congress of the Australian Medical Association. He is Chancellor of the University of Auckland and senior thoracic and cardiac surgeon at the Green Lane Hospital, Auckland. Sir Douglas Robb, an expert on national health schemes, stressed that the important role of the family doctor must be preserved at all costs. He said that although more and more specialists were inevitable these days, because of the greater knowledge and skills in medicine, the personal doctor should, nevertheless, be preserved, favoured and fortified.

“The outstanding features of the New Zealand health scheme are the generous provisions for the general practitioner and the completely free schedule of drugs,” he said. “The specialist is left to make the bulk of his living out of private practice, but the general practitioner is highly favoured. The specialist has to fish for him. self.

“The consulting physicians and surgeons in New Zealand have a hard row to hoe,” Sir Douglas Robb added.