DOCTORS AND NIGHT SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 71, 21 September 1927, Page 8

DOCTORS AND NIGHT SERVICE

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Will you give me space'to tell of an incident which fell under my, obVervation this week? It is one' which. BuggesU that a reform is urgently required in 1 certain direction, both for the interest of the public and the. credit p£.an honoured and honourable profession. : _ On Sunday night' a young man residine in private lodgings was. suddenly taken alarmingly ill. The household was aroused and as the sufferer had previously suffered from a complication of diseases, includine heart trouble, and as he complained of acute pain at the heart and soon becam« semi-delirious, considerable alarm wag felt for it was not known what: had best be done. There was no. particular, medicine on hand for such a' seizure, and people felt afraid in the case of a'heart seizure such as this to give spirits which might conceivably aggravate .the attack? So recourse was had to the.telephone, and nine doctors were rung up and asked to come, the urgency of the case being made clear to them. Every one of the nine pleaded that he had urgent, cases elsewhere, and could' not come. In desperation the police ivas appealed to; Soon an officer wan on the scene, and, taking the casein handi he got the Hospital ambulance "to come and take the patient away. We ought sometimes to thank God for the police. Now, I am not impugning the good f aitK of those nine doctors when I draw attention to the very remarkable fact that nine of them, chosen at random, were all busily engaged at this hour on Sunday night. It is almost inconceivable that a similar happening would occur, during day time. I may, however, point out-that the danger o£ such' a lack of organisation for night service may have' very serious consequences at any time. This young fellow or any other afflicted with heart disease, might in similar circumstances die before medical attention could be secured, or be. fore the arrival of the Hospital ambnlance. , Surely in a city like Wellington, with a strong regiment of doctors, gomething better than this couKTbe organised. The chemists in most towns have mads far better arrangements to meet such. cases. They run. a night pharmacy, and I think it would be well if the; medical practitioners in Wellington similarly organised a medical night service. It should surely be possible with so many of them to arrange that a certain number should undertake night work in cases "like the one above cited, in rotation.' Certain is it that the present arrangement^-or lack of arrangement—is most unsatisfactory, and I write this in the hope that some influential people may take up the matter and secure a reform that, will place ns more than ever in the debt o£ oor doctors, and at the same time safeguard the health and lives of the people more efficient!}; than ever, —I am, etc.,