DOCTOR SHORTAGE Call For Extended Training Facilities

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32047, 23 July 1969, Page 18

DOCTOR SHORTAGE Call For Extended Training Facilities

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 22.

The only fundamental solution to the present serious shortage of doctors, both general practitioners and hospital staff, particularly in rural areas, was to increase training facilities at New Zealand universities.

This was claimed by the leader of the Social Credit Political League (Mr V. F. Cracknell, Hobson) during debate on the estimates which began in Parliament today. The debate, which is expected to continue into the last weeks of the session, opened with the Legislative Department vote. He said that the latest provisions and incentives to attract practitioners to rural areas merely reallocated existing medical staff and did not overcome the present national shortage of doctors. The basic problem, he said, was the fail tire of the Government in past years to provide sufficient university facilities for increasing the number of doctors. Replying, the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake), who is in charge of the Legislative Department, admitted that the Government was also concerned with the national shortage of doctors, and in this respect had made provision for medical school facilities at Auckland and Dunedin to be increased. Further Measures The problem of enough general practitioners in rural areas was not an easy one but the Budget had made provisions and incentives to encourage doctors to take up residence in these areas. “It is not all I would like to see, but it is the most we can do at this stage,” said Mr Holyoake. He said that he hoped further measures could be taken in the future. Mr C. J. Moyle (Lab., Manukau) claimed that the Government was neglecting railway carriage maintenance, particularly of those on suburban services. No new carriages had passed through any workshop in New Zealand destined for suburban services since 1939.

The Minister had been postponing maintenance because the railways were obviously being used by the Minister of Finance (Mr Muldoon) for additional revenue. Close Look He called on Mr Gordon to take a close look at the administration of the department Mr S. A. Whitehead (Lab., Nelson) was critical of hospital services, saying they were in a “deplorable” position. There were 31,000 New Zealanders waiting for admission into public hospitals last year, he said. There was more inflexibility in the State Advances Corporation loan system than ever before, Mr W. A. Fraser (Lab., St Kilda) said when debating the vote for the corporation and for housing. He called for a full inquiry into the whole picture of housing in New Zealand. Mr Fraser said the corporation should have a regular flow of contracts for the construction of State rented units to keep the building industry going. Last year the Government had built 5009 houses fewer than required. In reply, the Minister of Housing (Mr Rae) said that one-quarter of all the inhabited buildings in New Zealand had been built by the Government.

Legislation Burden Mr T. J. Young (Lab., Hutt) was critical of the weight of legislation introduced in the House in recent years. “It is mounting to such an extent that sessions are becoming too short to handle it,” he said, claiming that insufficient attention was being given to legislation. Too often, legislation was being

introduced late in a session and being rushed through.

Mr Young was halted four times by the chairman of committees, Mr J. H. George (Nat., Otago Central), on grounds that his subject matter was out of order. After the fourth interruption, Mr Young remained seated. The Government was censured for making “painfully slow progress” on the proposed integration of the armed forces. Speaking on the defence vote, Mr A. J. Faulkner (Lab., Roskill) said that five years ago the people had been promised a "bigger bang for its money.” More Effective By integrating the forces they were to be more efficient and more effective for less money, he said. He accused the Government of deferring the purchase of military equipment which was necessary for New Zealand’s commitments overseas. In reply, the Minister of Defence (Mr Thomson) said that the Government had carried out all its undertakings

for the defence of New Zealand.

The first step towards integration was to establish a common disciplinary code for the three forces. After this was considered a new Defence Act would be considered to set up a Ministry with three services but with one support machine, he said. Rating Flexibility The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Seath) said he proposed to introduce a bill during this session to provide for greater flexibility in rating. This flexibility would be provided for in the Counties Amendment Bilk Mr W. L. Young (Nat.. Miramar), replying to Mr Cracknell’s claim that there were not enough doctors in New Zealand said the Government had provided a medical school in Auckland which would increase the output of doctors by 50 per cent. Provision had been made for the output from Dunedin Medical School to increase from 120 to 150 in 1972, he said.