MORE DOCTORS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 102, 27 October 1934, Page 11

MORE DOCTORS

MENTAL HOSPITALS

SIX TO BE APPOINTED

An announcement that the Government intended to engage: six additional doctors in the Mental Hospitals Department was made by the Minister of Finance (the Bt. Hon. J. G. Coates) in the Houso of Bepresentatives yester-

day afternoon. In reply to complaints that the mental hospitals wero understaffed, . Mr. Coates said that the matter had given the Minister of Health ' (the Hon. J. A. Young) deep concern. It was clear that tho medical and scientific staffs wero not sufficient, and required strengthening numerically. Mr. W. E. Barnard (Labour, Napier): Tho patients are suffering. Mr. Goates: I;don't think so. These men aro working overtime. There is no question about it, they are doing extraordinary work. It is a labour of love. •....' Mr. Coates said that the. Minister of Health was not prepared to accept tho responsibility for the present condition and had placed the matter before Cabinet. As tho result of tho Minister's representations, it had been decided to appoint six additional doctors. Mrs. E. E. McComb's (Labour, Lyttelton) congratulated tho Minister on his obvious intention, to' rectify the present situation. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. M. J. Savage) said that ho had been authoritatively • informed that the British Medical Association had nothing to do with the proposal to limit the number of medical students at Otago University. ' Mr. Young said that ho could give the House the assurance that the British Medical Association had not taken any part in the movement. Mr.< Young said tho Department had advertised throughout Australia and New Zealand, but it could not got tho class of men it required. The experience of engaging men on the other side of the world without a personal interview had not been a happy one, and he had taken the matter to Cabinet, which had decided to send Dr. T. G. Gray, Deputy General of Mental Hospitals, Home to engago suitable men. Tho students leaving the Medical School made use of tho mental hospitals for only a'short time. They wanted trained men who had a flair for the work, which did not seem attractive to the type of men suitable for tho 30b. Tho salaries had beon increased in an endeavour to secure good men, and ranged from £650 to £900.