Doctors picked for 'private beliefs’

Press, 25 February 1978, Page 6

Doctors picked for 'private beliefs’

Doctors are being selected as certifying abortion consul-, tants because of private moral and religious beliefs, not because of their recognised skill, experience, and integrity, said the chairman of the New Zealand branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (Dr J. R. Dobson) yesterday. Dr Dobson said he regretted the angry allegation egainst doctors bv the Minister of Justice 'Mr Thomson) on Thursday. Mr Thomson had said he was angered a “carefully contrived campaign of misrepresentation”; over changes to the abortion law last vear. “No attempts at misrepresentation have come to our' notice, except for those made, to the Royal Commission bv; witnesses supporting a oarticular organisation, whose, aim is to prevent all abortion I in New Zealand.” said Dr) Dobson. The college was “especially’ concerned” that a consultant! need not have conducted a personal examination of a woman before he declined al recommendation for an abor-i tion by her doctor. “We consider this is notl compatible with acceptable standards of medical prac-' tice.” Dr Dobson said. The Women’s National Abortion Action Campaign, yesterday made a strong at-i tack on Mr Thomson, reports

the Press Association from I Wellington. Referring to the recent I abortion law. W.0.M.A.A.C.! said, “Mr Thomson is now co! ling to place the responsibil-i ity for the success of this] law on the shoulders of doc-' tors, but. in fact, it is he! and his colleagues who are to] r blame for such a confusing; and anti-woman act.” A report on the new abor-i ijtion laws, prepared for the . Auckland Hospital Board by its superintendent-in-chief (Drj . R. F. Moody) is being sent by; I the Department of Health to! . all hospital boards. The Director-General of i Health (Dr H. J. H. Hiddlestone) said yesterday the report was an accurate and ! sound statement of the responsibilities of hospital ! i boards in respect to the rejcent legislation. ) The report says that the ■ new legislation had clarified, .(not changed, the law, and ! that the grounds for abortion were statutory ones, not | judicial interpretations. Dr Moody had said in his report that he thought the i new legislation, relating J solely to grounds, had not changed the law and he could i see no reason to change procedures which had worked satisfactorily for more than; ,25 years. | The Auckland Medical Aid I Centoe. which ran New Zea-i 1 land’s only abortion clinic,) has apologised to doctors I

■ throughout the country for ; its sudden closing. A circular letter signed by lone of the centre’s trustees, IDr R. Hunton, says: "In pari ticular, we regret it was I necessary to close our ser- : vice so suddenly, and that we were unable to see some I patients- who had already been given appointments for | assessment.” ’ The trustees had been led ’' to believe the law would not ; become effective until April 'll and were caught totally ■unprepared by the amend’ments to the Crimes Act J which came into force immediately, says Dr Hunton’s ' letter. “We hope we will be able ! to maintain the hospital and provide an abortion service again if Parliament sees fit to repeal the new laws,” he said.