Doctors’ fees
Sir, —I would advise “Facts Please” that the New Zealand medical system, costing millions of dollars annually in publ’c funds, is run primarily for the benefit of the medical profession and not for the people. It is disgraceful that, after being taxed for a “free” health service, citizens must subscribe to a private medical insurance society if they wish to be sure of hospital care. If they do not do this, they are held up to ransom for huge doctors’ fees for attention in private hospitals or, alternatively, to risk their lives by waiting two years for a bed in a public hospital (normally one-third empty). As for disciplinary control over medical practitioners, "There ain’t no such animal.” It is time we had a State medical service with medical officers imported from overseas—from Asia if necessary. Bodies are all made the
same, and blood comes only in one colour, so it is immaterial where the doctor learned his profession so long as he has a suitable qualification and speaks English fluently.—Yours, etc., NEW ZEALANDER. December 29, 1971.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19711230.2.96.1
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32802, 30 December 1971, Page 10
Word Count
179Doctors’ fees Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32802, 30 December 1971, Page 10
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in