A DOCTOR’S TRAGEDY

Grey River Argus, 25 August 1937, Page 5

A DOCTOR’S TRAGEDY

MEDICAL COUNCIL ,1 e . . . J Refuses Him Registration >• [Per Press Association]. WELLINGTON, August 24. An application by way of appeal to the Supreme Court against the decision of the Medical Council of New Zealand not to place the name of Dr. Kenneth Entwisle Bury on the Regis--3 ter of Medical Practitioners in the Dominion was withdrawn in the Su- ’ preme Court, because of the death of 1 Dr. Bury in the Christchurch Pub- ’ lie Hospital, on August 12th, after he ! was found unconscious in the cabin on the steamer Express “Maori.” ; Dr. Bury was dismissed from the ' position of Resident Medical Officer in the Chatham Islands, and his temporary certificate of registration was ' cancelled. The money necessary to* bring the Supreme Court action was ' provided by the Chatham Islanders, practically all of whom petitioned to have him retained. The natives of the Islands sent a petition to the Governor-General in support of Dr. Bury’s application. Dr. Bury,' who had been practising in London since 1920, arrived in Wellington in 1936, and he was appointed, by the North Canterbury Hospital Board, to the position in the Chatham Islands. He was granted a provisional certificate of registration for three months, at the expiry of which it was renewed for a further three months. Dr. Bury boarded the steamer “Tees” at Chatham Islands, but when the boat was under way, his request that he be put ashore was refused, and he was taken to Lyttelton. The agent of the North Canterbury , Hospital Board telegraphed for a sue- I cessor, and one was sent, but Dr. 1 Bury returned by the next boat. The Hospital Board suspended Dr. Bury on March 11th, and then dismissed him, by telegram, on March 30th. because, it was stated, “reports disclosed conduct of a very unsatisfactory nature.” The Medical Council cancelled Dr. : Bury’s provisional certificate, and it ; refused to place him on the New Zea- , land Register. Solicitors in Welling- ; ton asked the Medical Council for the , re-consideration of its decision, on the j grounds that Dr. Bury had had no in« ; formation whatever of any charges, and the whole population of the ( Islands appeared to be in his favour; ( that the Agent of the North Canter- j bury Hospital Board had not been j asked to report; and that the Medical t Council appeared to have acted on the j ex-parte statements of two persons. t The Medical Council refused to alter ( its decision.