STATE HEALTH SERVICE

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 April 1938, Page 8

STATE HEALTH SERVICE

DOCTOR’S CRITICISM. [PEB TBEBB ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, April 26. Giving evidence before the Health and Superannuation Committee, which resumed its hearing to-day, Rr. Ulric Williams, of. Wanganui, said that, there were three main factors for consideration. One was that the spirit of the proposals should be adequate, another that it should function, and the third that the science of it w®s accurate. If any of these was found to be wanting, the proposal would not fill its objective. There was no lack of spirit and no lack of willingness to carry it. out, but when it came to the science of the proposal, the scheme was shown to be defective. It rested on the assumption that medical treatment was either desirable or good for sick people. That assnumption was wrong. Medical treatment which was based on false assumptions was wrong in principle, and because of that it failed in practice. The aim should be to encourage people to live healthily. Under the present conditions, a family could not buy the food it. needed, dnd for that reason he suggested an increased family allowance. People did not need more woctoring, but more protection from the existing system. He contended that half the people in hospital had no need to be there.