LODGE DOCTORS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21910, 23 March 1933, Page 9

LODGE DOCTORS

HOSPITAL BOARD’S LETTER AN INDIGNANT REPLY (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 22. “ To make allegations as you have done of medical men trying to escape or evade their responsibilities is not only offensive, it is foolish and contemptible.” That was the concluding sentence of a letter from the Canterbury division of the British Medical Association which was received at the meeting this morning of the North Canterbury Hospital Board. The communication, couched in such forcible terms, was evoked by a letter written by the board to the friendly societies concerning the sending of lodge members by friendly society doctors to the Out-patients’ Department, of the hospital and asking the secretaries of lodges “to take this matter up and impress upon the medical practitioners subsidised by your lodge that it is unreasonable to send eases for treatment to the Outpatients’ Department that should rightly come within the duties that they are called upon to perform when undertaking the position of medical officer of a society such as yours.” The reply of the B.M.A. was drafted at a special meeting. It stated:- —“In the first place, we cannot protest too emphatically against your action in sending such a biased and unfair communication to the various lodges without our having been asked for some explanation. Accusations are directed against lodge doctors in general, which, we submit, will not bear investigation from your point of view. If you had any active grievance against any of the profession on the grounds indicated, it would have been much more just and equitable for your superintendent or deputy to get in touch with the doctor or doctors involved, so that they might have been given a chance of offering an explanation. We submit that in the majority of cases referred to a satisfactory explanation would have been forthcoming.” “ I hope the press will give full publicity to the extraordinary document received from the secretary of the 8.M.A.,” said Mr F. Rowell. “We must not take this lying down.” “ It was certainly a shock to me to read this letter.” said Mrs E. R. M'Combs. “I don’t like the terms in which it is couched, but I am disappointed that the Hospital Committee can give nothing to support the resolution passed by the board in this matter. We don’t like the letter, but unless we have facts to go upon we can do nothing. I move that the matter be referred back to the Hospital Committee for further investigation and report.” After further discussion, the matter was referred back to the Hospital Committee.