DOCTORS AND LODGES.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7749, 15 July 1916, Page 1

DOCTORS AND LODGES.

CASE FOR THE B.M.A. The official statement of the committee of the Wellington division of the British Medical Association gives a summary of the dispute with the friendly societies regarding the payment for medical attendance of doctors. It states that the annual rate of 15s, which has been the same for a quarter of a century, is practically sweating the profession. They submit that the payment should be a minimum of 21s, with a proviso that it be increased after the war period. This represents the utmost concession that the profession can afford. Expenses of medical men have considerably increased, but this factor has been ignored by the other side. The doctors again remind the public that they claim only an increase from 3Jd a week to 5d a lodge member, including his family. This means that a member’s family of four persons will receive medical attendance at an average weekly cost of lid each. The new claim involves an average increase of only Id a week per individual. The profession contends that the lodges are able to afford the increase. The doctors regret that the difference on the question of fair payment has degenerated into an imputation of sordid motives and insinuations against professional conduct. The profession feels it has a just cause for complaint at the apparent disposition of the Hons. G. W. Russell, Minister for Public Health, and J. A. Hanan, Minister in Charge of Friendly Societies, to believe that lodge doctors, who are asking for bare justice, have schemed for the exploitation of friendly societies. Mr Russell’s attitude, in the role of peacemaker, is, in effect, that the lodge doctors should agree to a certain amount of injustice to appease the friendly societies, and the Minister’s statements show resentment at the doctors’ unwillingness to accept less than 5d a week for medical treatment of a lodge member and his family. The issue has been clouded by the allegations of close monopoly, and Mr Russell has made statements tantamount to a declaration that the friendly societies will seek State aid in their attempt to command medical services at an unfair rate. The circumstances oblige the British Medical Association executive to announce that it must be antagonistic to the importation of doctors from America and Great Britain to do lodge work instead of local doctors, because such a scheme is designed to give lodges an advantage, to the detriment of the medical profession. This attitude of the local doctors is necessary. An additional reason is their duty to their colleagues away at the war.