MEDICAL BOARDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25851, 23 May 1945, Page 4

MEDICAL BOARDS

ARMY SYSTEM CRITICISED "A PUBLIC DISGRACE” (P.A.) AUCKLAND, May 22. The army medical boards in Auckland were strongly criticised by Mr K. C. Aekins, counsel for an appellant, at a sitting of the Auckland Industrial Man-power Committee to-day. The case was that of a returned soldier, Clifford Albany Hafford, aged 25, single, a porter, who appealed agaii\st not being allowed to leave the Railways Department to take up other employment. The appellant stated that he had been brought back from the Middle East for employment in the railways when his unit, the Railway Operating Company, was disbanded at the end of 1943. A medical board then found him grade 1. In August of last year he was admitted to the Auckland Hospital with an ulcerated stomach and was away from work for four months and a-half. On examining him in February of this year, a medical board again found him grade 1. _ He was not satisfied with this decision. “The examination bv the medical boards in Auckland of these men from the Middle East is in many cases a public disgrace.” stated Mr Aekins. He had been compelled to bring the matter to the notice of the No. 1 Armed Forces Appeal Board on a number of occasions and he found that it usually recommended that Middle Ea«t men should have a further examination.

When a member pointed out that the Man-power Committee could also arrange for a re-board. Mr Aekins said he hoped they would be different doctors. He was surprised at the number of prisoners of war, who after two years in captivity had been graded 1 on their return to New Zealand and sent overseas again. The appellant should have been X-rayed. If he had an ulcer, he should not be doing heavy work at all.

The assistant staff clerk at the Auckland station said the railway medical officer had confirmed that Haffo”d was suffering from a gastric ulcer. His department could not place any more men in light jobs. It was not strongly dpoosed to the appeal. In view of the appellant’s service overseas the appeal was allowed.