DOCTORS AND MOTHERS' DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23811, 18 May 1939, Page 17

DOCTORS AND MOTHERS' DAY

TO THE EDITOR Sir,—l am sorry the wording of my previous letter seems to have misled vour correspondent who signs “Another Woman’s Opinion.” and I hasten to put her on the right track. In the first place. I am not a prospective mother, so her reference to women expecting doctors and nurses to work 24 hours a day without payment does not touch me. My plea was on behalf of other women. “A. W. O.” asks if I am fairminded. Well, I am no paragon, but I try to be fair-minded enough not to make veiled insinuations regarding another person’s integrity without knowing anything of the facts. The facts in my own case are that I am the mother of two boys. The nursing accounts were paid within two weeks, and the doctor’s accounts within three weeks of the birth o f each child. Regarding doctors and nurses working 24 hours a day, this would be a physical impossibility and such silly exaggeration does your correspondent’s case no good. We all know doctors and nurses may be called on at any time in the 24 hours, and I sympathise with them; but illness being what it is, I fail to see how these conditions can be altered. I am not going to enter into a political argument with “A. W. 0.,” but would tell her that the statement in her letter “ that the attitude of the doctors is not a refusal to help deserving cases,” is just the very thing thta makes me indignant. This simply means that a prospective mother, to prove herself a deserving case, must suffer the humiliation of being looked on as an object of

charity by whoever decides if she is to receive help. This is an indignity which could well be spared a woman at a trying period in her life.—l am, etc.. Disillusioned Mother. XO THE EDITOR Sir, —“ Disillusioned Mother ” seems to have a grievance against doctors I am the mother of two, and am a worker’s wife, but did not find that we had to stint ourselves anything in order to pay our doctor or maternity fees. If people object to paying for their own children they will next be wanting free bread and butter People like “ Disillusioned Mother ” evidently do not realise how much it costs the doctor to keep up his work or how hard it is. My own experience with doctors has been quite satisfactory, in treatment as well in the moderation of fees. —I am. etc.. Worker’s Wife. North Otago, May 15.