MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16822, 12 April 1918, Page 6

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS.

CRITICISM OF BOARDS. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. [ST TJXIfIBAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. | WELLINGTON. Thursday. The frequent complaints made in regard to the medical examination of First Division reservists was referred to by Sir James Allen in the House to-day. He said the constitution of the Medical Boards had' been most carefully considered, and the procedure had been laid down by regulation, "Many allegations had been made that,fit men had been improperly rejected, and it even had been suggested that the boards had been bribed. The most, common suggestion, however, was that the boards had been influenced to' reject men of a certain religion. For every allegation that a fit man had been improperly rejected, at least 20 complaints wero made of unfit men being sent into camp. Numerous cases also had been brought either directly or anonymously, under the notice of the Department of men who were stated, to have deceived the doctors. All these statements had been at once placed before the examining board, with a view to arriving at the truth. In many cases, .owing to information thus received, men had been examined, and, where necessary, had been specially examined by .experts to deterwmo whether disabilities affecting particularly sight or hearing were really imaginary. "It must be obvious," the Minister added, " that the facts which govern the Medical Board in rejecting for active service a man'who, to all appearance, is perfectly fit, cannot be known' to tho person who made the charge of deception. In dozens of cases where these charges' have been made the history sheet, on being referred to, has revealed gome internal deformity or disease of which there was no indication on the surface, but which absolutely excluded the examinee being sent on active service."