MEDICAL FEES AND RECRUITS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13972, 19 April 1916, Page 7

MEDICAL FEES AND RECRUITS

COMPLAINTS IN AUCKLAND.' (Special to Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day. Tlie payment of fees for the medical examination of recruits has recently besn the subject of considerable controversy. Investigation of the position shows that for each recruit handled the examining doctor receives five «hiiln"-s. New Zealand has sent overseas and into camp practically 50,000 men. That has involved the' payment of £12,500. jn doctors' fees. The percentage of rejections is, at a modei-atu estimate. 25, so that men who have registered and been examined have involved tho State m an actual expenditure of £15,625, bufmany of the men . who registered for active service have cost the State far more than tho sum stated. Tlie Defence Department recently decided to issue rejection badges. Tlie. men rejected between the time of outbreak of war and February last codld not obtam a badge without first submitting for re-examina-tion. The re-examination involved the State m a further expenditiu-e of five shillings per man. The Auckland ' Recruiting Committee opened a recruiting station on March 4. In the first -seven days 589 men were examined at a cost of £147 ss. In one day an examining officer received £32 for* work' done. In the six weeks which have elapsed since the inauguration of the city recruiting schome, 1928 men have been examined, at a cost to the State of £482. The bulk of tho examining work is done by two medical men, though half a dozen are at tho disposal of the authorities. On an average, however, presuming that six divided the work up evenly" they would have received £80 a-piece during i tho six weekß. Of 1928 men examined 874 only. were accepted at once for service, 665 being deferred and 389 de- ] finitely- rejected. While some weeks have been very busy ones for doctors others have been slack. Last week 162 men only were examined.' representing a cost to tho iStato of £40 10s.

In reply to a letter of protest which appeared m the Auckland Sar, a correspondent, "Medico," writes: ."There are many medical men m this town, ".'myself among the number, who for the best of reasons cannot see their way clear to join the forces, who, if asked, would, I feel sure, bo only too happy and proud to give up a lot of their time if the country calls, and do so whenever required, without any thought of remuneration. We would feel that —we were 'doing our little bit' and helping m some measure our country m its- hour of need. Then this money which is now being paid to examining surgeons might very well bo saved and handed over to the patriotic fund. By this means there will bo more money left to give our bravo boys and their dependents. I enclose mv card."

"Sour Grapes" writes : "One has; only to divide the total , number of recruits by four which have been examined since the commencement of the war to arrive at the comfortable sum which had been netted by the favored, few medical officers concerned. Fancy payine; one man £32 for a. day's worlc of this simple nature;**"" But this is H"ot the whole story. During the month of January a considerable amount was paid to the isame officers for the Medical Board's fee of 5s per soldier, beincr allowed for the arduous work' on a-rrival of a troopship with a few hundred men on board, also for examination of soldiers aa to their fitness, for return to active service, etc/ '" Still ■more, ■■every man on leave, A*-ick oi' wounded, is entitled to freo medical aid, but he must go to the same, medical officers, who will m this case receive, a fee of ,7s 6d per case per attendance. Tho remedy is quite simple: Appoint one of the imanv of the whole-time commissioned medical officers now 'cooling their heels at Trentha.m. or for ' that matter m Egypt, and drawintr about 30s per day, to tako it m bo stationed at various, recruiting hea'dauarters and thus save thousands per annum."