MEDICAL BILL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 10 September 1941, Page 4

MEDICAL BILL

DOCTORS ASK FOR INQUIRY ROYAL COMMISSION SOI GIIT Christchurch, Sept. a. “ \ piece of coercive legislation under which the doctors must suh mil or starve." This description is i applied by the Canterbury Division of the British Medical Association to the Dill providing for a general practitioner scheme which was introduced in the House of Representatives last Friday. A statement } issued by the division says dial the ' doctors have asked that the implications of the Dill he made (lie subject of an inquiry by a Royal Commission. The Bill is definitely a piece of coer--1 vice legislation striking fundamentally at the liberty of the subject.” says the division. “Its introduction arises purely from polilical motives. No valid reason relative to the health of the people has been put forward for this latest attempt at coercing the medical profession. But the doctors are to submit or starve. “While at least 30 per cent, of the ! profession are helping to take medical ) care of our boys overseas, their rights i are being taken away behind their backs. Those medical men remaining iin New Zealand are almost entirely middle-aged men, practically all of I whom had considerable service during the last war and are undertaking at , least double duty at present. Under j the terms of the Bill these men ore to be converted into a team of juvenile j ‘bell-hops’ working 24 hours a day. | seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. "This is an undertaking which can | be accomplished by no Act or Pal liainenl. The doctors at present in prac- ! tiee could not possibly cope with the increase of working resulting from the ; passing of this Bill, and so the stan- ! dard of medical care would rapidly deteriorate. Surely this could not be the wish of the elected representatives ! of this country. The medical profession has asked for a Royal Commission, tree of political . control, to inquire into and advise as to • a solution of the difficulty. They also i icel that they have the sympathy of the j public in the very trying position they * have been placed at this time of najtional crisis. "The freedom oi the individual has j always been one of the fundamental principles of democratic life. It is now proposed in a British country, by Act of Parliament, to coerce a section of the people into tiie State machine, and if this is allowed to continue uncheck--Icd it will eventually mean the sub- ! jection of the whole population."