MEDICAL FEES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21365, 19 June 1931, Page 6

MEDICAL FEES

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir. —At last action is being taken by a public body (the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce) in regard to high medical fees. It is surprising that complaint was not made long ago against professional fees, which seem to be about the only charges that have not slumped in these days of severe economic depression. The present fixed medical fees constitute a positive hardship to the honest working man who tries to pay his debts and is unlucky enough to require medical aid. These fees could well be reduced 100 per cent, and the medical men would still collect a big salary. But no, despite the intense depression these big fees and salaries of £IOOO to £2OOO per annum are quite in order for the poor hard-working doctor who must still have his grand residence and car, etc. Most of the “ fee ’’ constitutes “ net profit,” and if medicine is prescribed the patient generally pays extra for it. If the doctors have hearts of flesh they should be content with a smaller salary in these difficult days, when hundreds of citizens are without work, many being without sufficient food or clothing, whilst many business people are actually losing money struggling to keep their employees in work.

It is time legislation xvas passed to torce high fees down so that the heavy burden that rests on many might be lightened. Under the heading of “Medical Fees" your correspondent “ Equality ” quotes doctors and grocers. Such comparison is unequal. Anyone with accurate knowledge of the grocery trade at present is aware that the established grocers who collect orders and deliver goods are actually losing money at present cut prices and are experiencing great difficulty in keeping their employees going and in paying the merchants’ bills. Sooner or later some of the employees will have to join the unemployed army or the businesses must close their doors. Several grocers have “ gone through ” recently. In good times a grocer was well satisfied to show a net profit of 24 per cent. Bankruptcies amongst medical men are almost unheard of. Hoping the existing inequalities will he righted.—l am, etc., Equality No. 2.