OTAGO DOCTORS

Evening Star, Issue 23989, 13 September 1941, Page 8

OTAGO DOCTORS

REJECT STATE PLAN OPPOSITION REAFFIRMED At a special general meeting of the Otago division of the British Medical Association held to consider the proposals for a general practitioner service embodied in the Bill to amend the Social Security Act now before Parliament. the following resolutions wore passed without dissent: — 1. That the Otago division of the British Medical Association, recognising the necessity for continuing to supply medical services to the community, pledge itself to continue the same, but at tlie same time firmly declines to accept service under this amendment if it should be passed by Parliament. 2. That the medical practitioners of New Zealand cannot consider this amendment, or any t other radical change in the conduct of medical practice, unless the proposals entailing such change are submitted for the opinion of all practitioners who are absent on active service: that the Government’s offer of two years’ guaranteed income after demobilisation does not meet the difficulty that any radical changes may adversely affect the welfare of medical men with 20 or 30 years of active professional life in prospect.

DR M'MILLAN’S STATEMENT DOCTORS NOT UNANIMOUS “It will scarcely be necessary to mention that the motion passed by the meeting of Otago doctors does not represent the opinion of all members of the Otago division of the 8.M.A.,” said Dr D. G. M'Millan, M.P., this morning. “ There are those,” he added.who, believing in the traditional British system of constitutional government, dissociate themselves from any incitement to law breaking by any section of the community.”