AUXILIARIES TO SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 23585, 12 August 1938, Page 6

AUXILIARIES TO SERVICE

PROVISION IN NEAR FUTURE PROMISED DR McMILLAN EXPRESSES CONFIDENCE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, August 11. “I am confident that the conscientious doubts and fears being expressed in New Zealand today will prove groundless once the scheme starts to work, said Dr D. G. McMillan (Lab., Dunedin West) speaking on the social’security report in the House of Representatives tonight. “The member for Christchurch North has practically stated that the medical profession will go on strike. I have no fear of that happening I know the medical profession much better than that.” Dr McMillan said that over the last three years the Government had been in constant communication and consultation with the medical profession. The other day, when the Government placed its proposals before them, the representatives of the profession stated that they were in entire agreement that they could quite well leave the question of remuneration to the Government. They were in entire agreement with the Government about the proposed form of administration. The only point on which they differed from the Government was whether the scheme should be partial or universal. PREVENTION AND CURE “We are told,” said Dr McMillan, “that we should confine our attentions to the preventive side and not pay any attention to the curative side. The plain fact is that you cannot differentiate between prevention and cure. The cure of a minor illness prevents the onset of something more serious. It is recognized on all hands that we will continue to contract diseases caused by germs, whatever preventive medicine can do. I think it will be many centuries before it can prevent people dying of old age. People will still continue to wear out and die, but medical attention in their latter years will do much to make their lives more happy.” Dr McMillan said it was not proposed to introduce any costly form of health insurance. Today the people of New Zealand spent £6,000,000 on health services. Under the new scheme it was proposed to spend £3,000,000. The expenditure of a little more than £4,000,000 would provide a much better service than was being given today. The pivot of the scheme was the general practitioner service. The other j auxiliaries would be added in time. The question was how much could be provided on the opening day. The Opposition was complaining because the Government was not doing the whole job in five minutes. “Keep the present Government in office,” Dr McMillan added, “and all these services will be provided in the near future.” __