The Press FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1970. A Third Medical School ?

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32274, 17 April 1970, Page 12

The Press FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1970. A Third Medical School ?

Renewed talk of a third medical school in New Zealand in the foreseeable future ought to be scotched; and the statement by Dr L. C. L. Averill printed today explains in the clearest possible terms exactly why. If a need for more places for students in medical schools can be demonstrated, these can be provided, conveniently and economically, by the early enlargement of the Auckland school. The duplication of buildings and teaching staff in the near future would be a waste of resources which are already scarce and expensive. Even when the school in Dunedin is taking 200 new students a

\ear in the 1980 s—compared with 120 now—it will be a small establishment by world standards. A third school would prosper only at the expense of the Otago school and the newly-established Auckland school.

It is clear to most people that New Zealand needs more doctors now and will need an increasing number in the future. A sensible plan has been devised to produce them. It will exploit the opportunities for clinical teaching at the large hospitals in Wellington and Christchurch. Happily, the Government has now given approval for the calling of tenders for a contract to build a clinical services block at the Christchurch Hospital. This building is a vital part of the plan. While it is generally recognised that more doctors must be trained, insufficient consideration has been given to the second, but hardly less important, question of how to ensure that they will serve this country, especially in the areas where the shortage of doctors is greatest The distribution of doctors, even among the cities—and within them—is very uneven. This fact leads to many justifiable complaints about the supply of doctors. But it should be remembered that when the proportion of doctors to population has been improved—and it is now among the highest in the world—there will almost certainly be a need for higher fees for general practitioners. On average they will have fewer patients, who can expect to receive better service; but unless doctors’ incomes can be maintained at a level comparable with those in other countries New Zealand will not be able to retain the services of a sufficient number of the doctors it trains. Efficient clinical training, adequate pay, fair distribution, opportunities for specialisation and research, and the maintenance of high standards of teaching in the present medical schools are among the issues that matter today. A third medical school is not .