Medical students upset

Press, 24 May 1977, Page 3

Medical students upset

The New Zealand Medical Students’ Association is upset at the indefinite suspension of 150 medical students from the Fiji School of Medicine by the Fijian Government, and has sent 1 the Fijian Government a telegram of protest. The suspension followed the students’ boycotting of lectures last week, after the Fijian Ministry of Health refused to allow two of them ito attend the New Zealand Medical Students’ Association annual conference in Dunedin. The conference was on the future of medicine in the South Pacific. A spokesman for the national association (Mr G. C. Fairhall) said in Christchurch that the students had been invited to the conference as representatives of the Fiji School of Medicine. Money for their air fares

had been contributed by branches of the association in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Mr Fairhall said that the . two students had been told; by the Fijian Ministry of Health that they could not : attend the conference because they would miss a week of lectures. In protest at this, 150 students from the Fiji School of Medicine boycotted lec- ! tures last week and have < been indefinitely suspended from the school by the Fijian Government. They have been asked to leave the: school. Mr Fairhall said that the i national president of the : Medical Students’ Association (Mr D. Mason) had I, telephoned the Fijian stu-l dents on Sunday evening.] They had said they were re-p fusing to leave their hostelji

rooms at the school and would have to be “physically evicted.” The telegram sent by the association to the Fijian (Government and Prime Minister (Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara) reads:— “The New Zealand Medical Students’ Association expresses extreme displeasure and regret re the action taken by your Government concerning the Fijian medical students, and we request an explanation.” The association has also notified the New Zealand Medical Association and the New Zealand University Students’ Association of the move. Mr Fairhall said a teleigram had been sent as it I was difficult to know what |to do to support the F’’’an (medical | stand.