MEDICAL SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3117, 22 June 1917, Page 6

MEDICAL SERVICES

CIVIL AND MILITARY

VIEWS OF BRITISH MEDICAL

ASSOCIATION

I he' Minister of Public Health has recoived from the chairman of the executive of the British Medical Association a reply to his letter, the substance'of which was. published in Tin: Dominion ■mi iuesday morning, following are the important passages in the letter of renly:— _ 'We note with pleasure that you are m agreement with the Medical Association genorally. but recognise with you that details are a matter of difficulty. Wβ wish to emphasise that while the medical requirements of the civil population are important, yet during the war the supply of doctors for the army is par-amount.

"You will, understand that the Adyisory. Board is for the purpose of assist ing to supply both the military and the civil requirements, and these are interdependent."

The letter goes on. to answer the inquiries of the Minister:—

"We think it ranch fairer that Hie Defence Department should call up compulsorily for military service, as it requires them, those -medcal men whose names are .on the medical register, with right of appeal through the Advisory Board. If medical men had a definite call for military service from tho State, it would put an end to the present conflict of duty that is a. great perplexity. "Wβ think that tho use and distribution of the Tecently-qualified jSfew Zealand graduates should be at the disposal of the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Public Health, dependent upon the needs of the two Departments." The letter refers next- to a. misunderstanding between the Minister and the association arising from tho substitution of the term "active service" for "active practice/' Tho misunderstanding occurred through an error in typing. In the copy of tho statement of the B.M.A. supplied for publication in the newspapers the proposal was correctly set forth, and the term used was "active practice," but in tho copy sent to the Minister tho term was "active service." Tbo Ministers answer was based on the copy he had received. . As the Medical Association explains, the object of the recommendation in question was to make • it impossible for doctors in practice in one district to move to .mother district without the consent of the Minister of Public Health during the period of the war and subsequent demobilisation. The letter continues:— "We mean by 'duly safeguarding the interests of the medical profession' that the proposed legislation should be submitted for the consideration of the Advisory Board, and that special legislation .should not operate after demobilisation. "Members of -the Advisory Board will ba drawn from various centres in New Zealand, and we think that the Governniont should pay as in the case of the Medical Registration Board, travelling expenses, and, say, .£1 a day and clerical and office expenses." (This was in reply to a request by the Minister for a more clear indication of what was meant b) tho recommendation of the B.M.A. that the Government should bear the whole cost of tho operation of any scheme to bu introdnoed.) "With regard to payment, you propose a. guarantee of -£600 a year and JEIOO travelling expenses. It should be made ■clear that J!6ofl net income is intended; that is, clear of all sneh. expenses as are allowed by the Income Tax Department. !As with military officers, cost of removal should be paid by the Government. "We accept your assurance that you ■n-11l recommend the Government to employ the compulsory clauses, if the Act should be passed, only when it becomes necessary to .do so in the interests of the civil population of the country."