UNFIT RECRUITS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24832, 4 February 1942, Page 4

UNFIT RECRUITS

REMEDIAL TREATMENT MEDICAL RESPONSIBILITY ' The 1 National - Service .-Emergency Regulations, 1940, make it incumbent on every member of any armed force to submit himself to remedial treatment' when required tb.'db se by any Officer': authority : 'over torn,- if the treatment which is recommended is deemednecesisary to make him.fit for service. - " ." "

"This.provision of the National Service Emergency Regulations," says the New Zealand Medical journal,'"places a heavy responsibility on members :■ of medical boards C who recommend remedial treatment arid -upon"regional deputies, who'-approve'ofvtreatments : "It is.„clear, that the prqvisipri,,-,of remedisil treatment was meant to deal only with miriorldisabflities, and "also included a ruinor degree of .varicose veins where :■■ these- did not extend above the knee" and' where-,only one or two .treatments Were required for cure. ; :'-;' "" r , '",,'■'.'.,■'.

Varicose Veins

: ' v Interest ih ; this topic has, been sharpened by the prosecution in Auckland of a reservist who refused to submit to remedial treatment. The recruit, had protested against undergoing the recommended-'treatment c because of the uncertaintyofcure and what he believed .to :';be a possible danger to his life. Few medical;men would agree with the" opinion -of the regional deputy in Auckland that the injection treatment for varicose; veins provided a .certain remedy. The Reported account Of the proceedihgs stated that of 130 men treated by injection at the Auckland Hospital, since March, all '/-. had ■': responded satisfactorily. There is Nearly some misunderstanding -da thiss point, because most' surgeons agree' that unless- the vein is: ligatured there is a high proportion vol x recurrences, and the ; regional deputy.in the course of his evidencereferred >to ligature as ,-part of the . Treatment, involving more than one or ,two injections; for veins,,below-,the knee has? not sq, far been authorised. ' - ~ ,- A . "There are two aspectsof the matter which aire ■' important. ■' One is.;- thati* recruit may be willing to serve:and may be capable of serving with; a minor disability and- yet ; j-be* unwilling to have that disability remedied by surgical-treatment. Most of the,disabilities for which, treatment has t*en recommended or approved are for disabilities which are hot likely to be remedied if the recruit' is unwilling. For example, the recruit W&-9! , conl " plains of symptoms from a-varicbcoele is likely to complain : of pain i>f ; ahother sort after the conditio* has been remedied by operation. '"'■■'■_ Meniia, 'Caww-;;' "The^other;aspect of the matter, as that mi|ny young-men, who are; active and fit with the: exception thatlhey are the subjects of hernia would willingly submit to i< remedial treatment to enable them to serve. At presen t the radical cure of hernia is .not; one of the forms of treatment which has been approved. Somenotice has been taken of this in the press, arid it; has been suggested that these young men were beingunfairly treated and were open to the reflection that, they were trading on their disability,: Whether these recruits will be treated--~at - the expense of the-State has riotyetifeeen decided, but for feel • any grievance in the matter "it must be pointed out that any or all of-them can obtain the necessary; treatment, free of any charge to themselves, in the public hospitals of: the community. Many recruits -have had-the -treatment on their.own, initiative] and'have'b&Sn rendered fit. !•;; ~J::i. 7;'" ■'■■■■ i -Y~-» "* f V

"The question of,remedial treatment has many difficult angles, and the responsibility on medical boards to recommend remedial treatment is heightened by the A fact that reservists who refuse the recommended treatment are liable to, prosecution and;Jmprisoririient if they' refuse, even though the refusal is one whieh-in civilian practice may well be regarded *as reasonable."