DOCTORS AND LODGES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2833, 26 July 1916, Page 9

DOCTORS AND LODGES

.. QUESTIQNS-IN THE HOUSE. ; Two. questions were given notice of in the.House yesterday. regarding the controversy between doctors -ami friendly societies. Mr. Poolo asked tho Minister of Public Health:—Whether the Government intends to take any action, by providing legislation this ■ session to amend the Medical Practitioners'Act,-in-life dircc-, Hon. affording the, friendly .societies of New Zealand and the general public the necessary relief from'the arbitrary action practised- by the various divisions of tho British Medical Association, throughout New Zealand. "The friendly societies of the Dominion," he said, "arc looking forward with very great interest-to a thorough revision of the system governing medical registration, and the control, if any, which, the Cabinet intends to assume regarding the conditions of medical practice in -Now Zealand." ■ ■;

Mr.'li. Fletcher addressed to.the Hon. G. W. Eussell the following questions:— "(1) In view of the vast amount of correspondence, official and otherwise,, which has.appeared in the Press in connection with the medical dispute betwen the N.Z. Branch of the British.-Medical Association and the .Wellington friendly societies, whether.the National Cabinet will,, in tho interests of the public of the Dominion in general and the friendly societies in particular, bring in the necessary amending legislation to protect them from unnecessary intimidation and-exploitation. "(2) Is' it the intention- of the Government to amend the Act whereby the Parliament and people will hafo the necessary control and regulation of the medical service given by practitioners who, in order to practice, have to be registered uudcr the' Act. .

"(;!) Whether the Government intends to Introduce penal clauses into an amending Act,.so that in the case of any doctor refusing to attend an urgent case of sickness under the plea of an alleged medical etiquette, which should not exist, to tne detriment of human-life, he be struck off the Medical Register, and be not allowed to practise, and if he does so, that severe penalties will be inflicted. "In a. case recently-heard in the Police Court at Auckland, Cawkwell v. Burns," he said, "the defendant was charged with assaulting the plaintiff, who is a practising doctor. The evidence was to the' effect that'the defendant sought urgent medical assistance for his child, who was uenously ill, but it was refused owing to another doctor having been previously attending. The-child died in the meantime, the former doctor not having been able to attend. The Magistrate condemned the plaintiff's action, and dismissed the case, with costs- against the plaintiff."