THE MEDICAL SERVICE OF THE DOMINION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16953, 15 March 1917, Page 6

THE MEDICAL SERVICE OF THE DOMINION.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF

PUBLIC HEALTH.

The Minister of Puhlio Health has had prepared a report by Dr Vuliniine, Inspectorgeneral of Hospitals, showing the position ol the medical servioo in Mew Zealand at tno present timQ, and how it has been attocted by tho war. The statistics contained in the report show that the number of medical men now practising in New Zeaiana gives an excess of 26 over the minimum deemed sufficient for the medical requirements of tho country, the assumption being that in normal circumstances a proportion ox ono medical officer for ovcry 2000 of population is generally regarded as sufficient for tho purposes of tfto modical services of tho community, whoreas at tho present time there is roughly one medical man for every 2380 of the population of the dominion. Of tho doctors on active service there were drawn from Auckland 26, from Wellington 20, from Christchurcli 18, and from Dunedin 9. Included in tlieso figures are the names of medical men who enlisted from these cities, but did not necessarily belong to tho city from which they enlisted. A further analysis is designed to show that of the doctors actually in practice in these cities the numbers wJio havo gone to tho follow:—Auckland 14, Wellington 12, Chnstchurch 11, Dunedin 3. Several of (die secondary towns show very creditably in tho matter of enlistments from the medical profession. Timaru, for example, has supplied no fewer, than six medical men for active service.

It is regarded as extremely necessary thai some definite. system of calling upon tho medical profession for military servioe should bo arranged immediately in order to avoid thp difficulties of inadequate mcdical service within tho dominion, and it is proposed that a conference shall shortly bo called at which the Health Department and the exeoutivo of tho Now Zealand branch of tho British Medical Association will bo represented to consider what steps can be taken to see that, while assisting the Defence ■Department in every way, tho medical servioes of tho dominion shall not be depleted to a dangerous point. Mr Russell considers that if service is baaed on population and consideration to the needs of tho people and the geographical features of each district, it may bo. possible to increase the area of tho districts. for tho .medical men remaining in practice. For instance, thero is one fairsized town from which no medical" man has enlisted. In other cases there are doctors in competition where they could safely bo removed to a larger centre, and still leave a sufficient number available for civilian and institutional needs. In these cases it may be necessary to follow the lines obtaining m Great. Britain at the present time, where, tho medical service has been mobilised, and doctors aro removed, under specific arrange-' monte, from ono town to another where their services aro required. These arrangements are, he understands, somewhat of the following characters: —Tho doctors who are left are required to pay over a portion of their receipts to the men who are taken away, but, in turn, are guaranteed, the same rate of pay as is given to doctors in the military service. The question is one which requires —first, . organisation; second, patriotism; and, third, business arrangements.