B.M.A. Charges Government With Responsibility

Northern Advocate, 15 May 1939, Page 7

B.M.A. Charges Government With Responsibility

MATERNITY SERVICES IMPASSE

[Per Press Association. Copyrightl WELLINGTON, This Day. “The impasse that has been arrived at in regard to the provision of maternity services under the Social Security Act as the creation of the Government, and is its responsibility,” said Dr. J. P. Sf. Jamieson, chairman of the National Health Insurance Committee of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, commenting further on the statement‘issued by the Hon. P. Fraser, Minister of Health, on Saturday.

“It is* commonsense that when a Government in a democratic countrydesires to introduce any radical change which it cannot operate itself it must first be assured of the consent of the other persons concerned, and of their willingness to co-operate. “Obviously co-operation between the Government and the profession, on v/hich the success of any scheme depends and which all desire, must be two-sided. The profession offered its co-operation, but the Government rejected it, and went its own way. lienee the onus for the present position is on the Government.

“The profession, morally and legally, by the Government’s own act, is entitled to decline offers of service, and 'I submit that because its members exercised that right they cannot be held to be obstructionists, even by the Government, “It is unwise in the introduction of a scheme such as this to take a course which tends to set the people against the doctors, the doctors against themselves, and all against the Minister’s own department. I therefore urge the Minister not to reject the advice and sincere offer of co-operation which the profession tenders.”