RANGE OF SALARIES FOR HOSPITAL MEDICAL MEN CRITICISED

Wanganui Chronicle, 14 December 1949, Page 6

RANGE OF SALARIES FOR HOSPITAL MEDICAL MEN CRITICISED

TIMARU, Last Night (PA).—The medical superintendent of the Timaru Public Hospital, Dr. J. C. McKenzie protested against the new range oi salaries at a meeting today of the South Canterbury Hospital Board. His protest was supported by board members.

Having recently returned from abroad, Dr. McKenzie said that he found that his salary had been slightly reduced, and that his surgical services to the hospital had been valued at £lOO a year. Nearly all hospital employees drew the same emoluments as they would draw in private. It was common knowledge that private practitioners had incomes of from £3OOO to £lO,OOO a year, even by junior men. Although he did not suggest that those in hospitals should reach such large figures, the difference between ths two classes of men was too great. Parttime medical staff, making substantia] incomes outside, were paid a further £350, £4OO or £5OO a year. It so happened that a large share of the surgical work in the Timaru Hos pital fell to his lot, and he felt t/.at he had discharged these obligations with some satisfaction to the patients con cerned, and also the community. Why. then, should he be rated by the Government as being worth one quarter one third, or one fifth of what parttime men received? This state of affairs, he continued, applied in varying degrees to all fulltime medical officers iif New Zealand It was high time that someone spoke out again on their behalf. Following the publication of the salary scales, there had been numerous resignations. Dr. Brooks, who re. cently resigned from the Timaru Hos pital staff, had plenty of company, and the end was not yet. Some more noteworthy ones were in the offing. “But why should we have to resign to get a fair deal?” he concluded.