Rumour blamed in Karamea row

Press, 18 April 1978, Page 3

Rumour blamed in Karamea row

From BARRY SIMPSON in Nelson

While Karamea residents *ere preparing to demonstrate against the Nelson medical officer of health (Dr J S. Roxburgh) at the airport last Thursday, he was actually telling the residents’ representatives that he would write to four doctors ' who more than a year ago had expressed an interest in going to Karamea.

This emerged from a telephone interview yesterday with Mr C. J. Jennings, sec- . retary of the Karamea Medical Association.

. Last Thursday Karamea residents demonstrated at 'the Karamea airport and .blocked the departure of Dr • Roxburgh’s plane. One of ;the grounds for doing so, according to Dr Roxburgh, •was that he had “turned ’down” five doctors who had applied to go to Karamea. • Karamea and its 600 residents is, for medical pur- . poses, a “special area” prac•tice. A doctor in such a ’ practice has his salary guaranteed by the Health Department.

The Karamea Medical Association was formed in the 19205, according to Mr Jennings, because it was •then the town’s responsibility to get its own doctor, >nd pay his salary. Members •of the association paid annual subscriptions. Today the main purpose of the association was to represent the residents in medical matters, he said. Fifteen months ago the! association and the Health! Depart ment had advertised I throughout New Zealand fori a doctor for Karamea. Five

doctors expressed interest, and of these four were eligible.

Then two days before the association began to get replies to its advertisement, the Health Department advised of the appointment of a Dr R. Maunsell to the post. He remained in the position eleven months, and left last Christmas, said Mr Jennings. When Dr Maunsell was appointed, the association had written to the other doctors explaining the situation, but advising them that should the position fall vacant in the near future they would be contacted again.

When it was learned in November that Dr Maunsell was leaving, the association wrote again to the four doctors. One was still very interested.

Mr Jennings said that at present, if a bad accident occurred at Karamea, the patient would be taken by the Karamea ambulance to the doctor at Ngakawau.

He said that at the meeting that Dr Roxburgh had told the committee that he would try and contact the four doctors regarding the vacant post, but that until the post was filled the present ambulance trip arrangement would be continued. As well, he suggested the appointment of a district nurse for Karamea.

Speaking about the demonstration at the airport, Mr I Jennings said he did not know what happened because he was not there. “The demonstration put

the medical committee in a very awkward position. We had told them to give the man a fair go. What he told us was entirely the opposite to what the people had been led to believe through rumours,” he said.

Mr T. Dyer, principal oi the Karamea School, on the Wednesday had sent notes home with the children. In this note Mr Dyer advised residents that Dr Roxburgh would be at the Plunket Rooms at 9.30 a.m. on the Thursday. The note continued: “It is reported from reliable sources that Dr Roxburgh is coming to tell the medical association that our area cannot justify a special-practice doctor, and that we will in future be served from the special practice area at Ngakawau.

“As this matter affects every one of us, it is suggested that interested residents might like to gather at the airport about, 10 a.m. This would ensure that, if Dr Roxburgh has indeed told the medical association that this area is no longer to have its own doctor, the feeling of the people will be adequately conveyed to him,” said the note.