MEDICAL PROFESSION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9691, 20 June 1917, Page 3

MEDICAL PROFESSION

ITS MOBILISATION MINISTER REPLIES TO SUGGESTIONS OF B.M.A. On Saturday morning tha New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association published a statement on the questions raised by the Minister for Public Health (the Hon. G; IV. Russell) in a press interview given by him on the subject of mobilisation of the medical profession, Mr Bussell has now replied to the B.M.A. by letter. The first and most important of the recommendations of the B.M.A. was that an advisory board should be set up to which the military and the civil authorities could apply for advice and assistance, the board to consist of six members of the B.M.A. Of this proposal Mr Bussell approves. Another proposal of the B.M.A. was that the services of any applicant for registration under the Medical Practitioners Act should be placed first at the disposal of the Minister for Defence, and secondly of the Minister for Public Health. Mr Russell’s reply on tiiis point is: “I agree to this, and if approved by the Minister for Defence, am prepared to bring down legislation to give effect to it."

The Minister agrees also to the request that the matter of the Use and distribution of newly-qualified practitioners should be referred to the Advisory Board, but he Stipulates that the hospital and mental hospital services should have first claim on recent-ly-qualified New Zealand medical graduates. .

The B.M.A. make this very important recommendation: “That an effort be made to prevent men in active practice from changing their place of practice during the period of the war without the permission of the Minister for Public Health.” In his reply on this point the Minister has apparently road “active service” for “active practice,” for ho has replied as follows: “This is not quite clear, but I understand the proposal is that legislation shall he brought in to prevent medical men who may engage in active service settling down after the war in any other town or district than that in which they resided prior to engaging in military service, without 'the jrmsont of the Minister for Public Health. If this is the meaning of it, I should like bo take a little iurther time to consider so important a matter.”

The association asked that any necessary legislation should duly safeguard the interests of the medical profession, and should remain in force only during the period of the war and subsequent demobilisation. The Minister asks for a clearer definition of what is meant by “duly safeguarding the interests of the profession,” saying that without such a definition he is unable to express an opinion on the proposal. A further suggestion of) the association that the expense ot bringing into operation and administration the proposed scheme should be borne by the Gotverament, is also met by the Minister with a request for an exact statement of what is meant by it. Ho asks the association to state fully what is contemplated by the paragraph in their list of recommendations.

As one of the means that might be adopted to obtain doctors for districts now without sufficient medical men, the association made the suggestion that the Government should advertise for doctors for these districts, offering, in addition to the emoluments to bo derived from practice, an honorarium of, say, £560 per annum (captain's pay), with travelling allowance. The Minister replies as follows: "I am unable to agree to the proposals. A clear income of £6OO per year is all that I feel justified in committing the Government to. I am prepared to accept the proposal of the association that payment shall bo by subsidy, and while agreeing to guarantee £6OO a year, wish it understood that the Government subsidy would be only a sufficient sum to make up any deficiency between the actual receipts ot the medical practitioner and the £6OO. This, I may say. is practically the income of the men who are on active service, and I do not feel justified in offering a higher salary to civilian practitioners. With regard to travelling expenses, I am prepared to allow Up to £IOO per year towards the cost or maintaining motor-oar, but cannot accept the suggestion of the association made by telephone to the Bublio Health Department, that £l5O should he set aside for this purpose.”

•ur Russell concludes his letter as follows: “I wish to say, therefore, that while agreeing in general to the proposals of the association, I am not prepared to commit myself not to bring down legislation of a compnlsory character, enabling the Government, if it finds it necessary, to locate doctors in districts which have been depleted for military purposes. I think, however, that the Advisory Board’s scheme should first receive a trial, and even if compulsory legislation should be brought down, it should be only of a tentative nature, to be brought in Try Order-in-Council. And I bog to give your association an assurance that I would only recommend the Government to employ the compulsory clauses of the Act when it became necessary to do so in the interests of the civilian population of the country.”