TEMPORARILY UNFIT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20649, 27 December 1941, Page 3

TEMPORARILY UNFIT

CRITICISM BY DOCTORS FITTING MEN FOR SERVICE Nothing of a worthwhile nature toward fitting for overseas service men requiring remedial treatment to bring them to the required standard has yet been accomplished, according to the statements of medical men closely acquainted with this subject who were interviewed in Wellington. It was stated that there were hundreds, even thousands, of men in the Territorial force and on home defence duties for the duration who could be made fit for overseas by minor surgical treatment, but the stumbling block was the lack of hospital accommodation to treat them. There would l)e no difficulty about professional attention provided that, men could be accommodated under conditions suitable for carrying this out. Such men wore suffering from complaints like hernia, varicose veins, diseased tonsils, ingrowing toe-nails, warts, corns, hydrocele, varicocele, cysts, nasal defects and the hke. They could be made fit for overseas. As things were, however, little or nothing was being done and a great reserve of bachelor man-power remained in the country when it could be utilised for overseas. Remedial Treatment It had been stated in the House of Representatives by the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer that 53.000 men had been classed unfit for the armed services. Among this total, these doctors stated, it should be possible to bring up to grade 1 by varying periods of treatment up to one-thircl of the unfit.

If the problem was to be resolutely tackled, an immediate investigation should be made into the relativeurgency of civil waiting lists at public hospitals and other than urgent cases made to stand down until the demands of the armed forces were satisfied. Failing this there should be a temporary hospital established exclusively for remedial treatment for armed, forces purposes. It would be very unfair to delay some course of action regarding such men when the time was not far distant when fit married men would have to take their place in the expeditionary force. There was a likelihood of an attempt being made to administer remedial treatment while Territorial: were engaged in collective training. This Was largely dependent for success on a worthwhile scale of the accommodation available in the hospitals of districts in which they were quartered.