MIDWIFERY TRAINING

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1930, Page 3

MIDWIFERY TRAINING

CASE OF STUDENT DOCTORS.

EXPERIENCE AT ST. HELEN’S.

Believing that there is a serious danger of sentiment overcoming reason on the question of admitting medical stud* ents to St. Helen’s hospitals, Dr. T. E. Corkill,' president of the Wellington division of the British Medical Asso». ciation, and vice-president of the Ob’, stctrical Society, has issued a statement reviewing the proposal. “The protests have been entirely on sentimental grounds, and much has been said of the wishes of the great founder of those institutions, Mr. R. J. Seddon,” said Dr. Corkill. “It would seem necessary, therefore, to put the position as it appears to those who,believe that in the interests of the womanhood’ of New Zealand as a whole, it is necessary to utilise all possible opportunities for the practical training of the future medical men of the country. “In the first instance, with all due honour and respect to Mr. Seddon, it must be pointed out that these.institutions were not established by private endowment, but by public money, and that future generations must have the right to adapt the working of _ these hospitals to suit changing ■ conditions. The utilisation of the St. Helen’s hospitals for student training is largely due to an insistent public demand for better midwifery, and is but another of the inevitable changes. * “To suggest that the entrance of students into these hospitals is a matter of self-interest is totally wrong. A standard of practice which was accepted 25 years ago would not be tolerated at the present time, for the Government imposed the most stringent regulations on the practice of midwives, maternity nurses and doctors.

“There is, therefore,’’ continued Dr. Corkill, “a very definite responsibility on the Government' to see that the necessary practical training is made available. This the Department of Health realises. Where, then, are the students to obtain that training which the public itself is demanding? Mr. Chapman in Parliament states vaguely' that the medical students can get their training in other directions. Where are these other directions ?"

“The payment of fees at St. Helen’s hospitalfl is used ae an argument, but are there any hospitals at which fees are not charged, at least nominally? Fees are charged at the public hospitals, at which our students must, of necessity, receive their instruction in other branches of medicine. Granted that the establishment of the new . maternity hospital and training school in Dunedin will, as we hope, largely solve the problem, it yet remains a fact that Dunedin is a comparatively small city, and that the utilisation of every other reasonable opportunity for clinical instruction is for the benefit of the mothers of the Dominion.” Views of the Department of Health are also set out in a statement. This points out that admissions of students to St. Helen’s Hospital in Dunedin began in 1918 because of the rapid increase in the number of students. The principle of making admission was extended to other cities in 1921-22. Students who have this privilege are final year students. It is stated that this is the only alternative to allowing them to acquire experience in private practice, often in districts remote from other medical advice. Applicants for admission as patients to St. Helen’s hospitals are permitted to state on the forms which they fill in whether they are prepared to allow the attendance of a student doctor and pupil nurses, acting under supervision, during the case. Their wishes are always respected. Dr. Agnes Bennett, medical officer at the Wellington St. Helen’s Hospital, said that only on rare occasions had women objected 'to the attendance of a medical student, and always their wishes had been respected. “There ifl no other system of maternity hoepitals in New Zealand,” she said, “which offer adequate training for student doctors.”