Deafness concerns Minister

Press, 16 July 1983, Page 2

Deafness concerns Minister

The number of doctors who ignore parents’ concern that their children may be deaf is worrying the Minister of Health, Mr Malcolm. He has sent a letter to doctors telling them of consistent remarks made by deaf children’s parents who are bitter about doctors not responding to their initial fears. The letters were sent after- Mr Malcolm attended a conference of the Federation for Deaf Children. “The fact remains that the anecdotal evidence of parents who have children who are eventually diagnosed as deaf is so overwhelming as to cause real concern,” he said. The national president of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Dr Selwyn Carson, said he applauded Mr Malcolm’s action. “It seems there are a fringe of general practitioners who just do not get off their butts,” he said. Those he knew made every effort to help parents worried about their child’s hearing, but it was up to all doctors to make the effort. Letters had been sent to every medical practitioner in New Zealand, but there were some who would not even bother to read them. It would also help if general practitioners were told when a child under their care was found to have hearing problems, either by parents or the specialists who made the diagnosis. The Canterbury branch of the college was organising a refresher course for its members on the problem, as a result of Mr Malcolm’s letter.