INCREASED MEDICAL RESEARCH URGED

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31504, 19 October 1967, Page 18

INCREASED MEDICAL RESEARCH URGED

For too long in New Zealand research had been a Cinderella in the medical field, Dr E. A. Espiner, associate physician with the medical unit at Princess Margaret Hospital, told the annual meeting of the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation last evening. New Zealand should not rest on the efforts of other countries, Dr Espiner said. If greater efforts were not made, capable research people would go overseas and standards of patient care would suffer. The best patient care was seen where there was an active research unit.

To achieve progress, attitudes had to be changed. Dr Espiner said. No-one was sure of the role of medical research for a long time, and the Government considered it was not its duty to ensure it was adequate. This was a myopic view. Expenditure of a certain amount of money each year on re-

search was basic to business, and the same should be done in the medical field. This was necessary in adddition to Government research grants made.

Some hospital boards had to be convinced that research was not a luxury, but a necessity. Improved communication between various sciences in New Zealand was necessary, Dr Espiner said, and it was also necessary to consider the reorganisation of many medical services. People should be encouraged to work in fulltime medical or surgical units.

“I can’t say the cost of medical services will be reduced,” he added. They would increase with the added sophistication and complexity and the new problems that arose. Dr Espiner said that research should never be controlled solely by the Government. Often there were special problems not receiving Government support, and some Government agencies could become dictatorial and not support some lines of research that should nevertheless be carried out.