NATIONAL HEALTH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 254, 7 August 1937, Page 3

NATIONAL HEALTH

THE TASMANIAN PLAN. PANEL SYSTEM CONDEMNED, (Special to the “Guardian.”) AUCKLAND, August 6. Disapproval of a national superannuation scheme based on a general tax that does not distinguish among the means of various classes of people was expressed by the Hon. A. G. Ogilvio (Premier 'of Tasmania), who arrived at Auckland by the Monterey from Los Angeles, on his way back to ■ Australia from attending the Imperial Conference. He also found fault with any national health scheme based on the panel system, and suggested that New Zealand had not done as much as it should have done to look after the health of its country and backblock population. “Superannuation should certainly be national, irrespective of the individual’s means,” said Mr Ogilvie,, “although I cannot agree.with a scheme which, like the sales tax and the Customs tax, imposes a liability on everybody, irrespective of what they can afford to pay. This system can be most unfair, taxing those who cannot afford it just as much as those who have plenty of money. “But national superannuation should be regarded as a right and not as a charity. The trouble with some pensions schemes is that they penalise thrift. The man who has led a useful and thrifty life and has saved £IOOO is not entitled to,a pension under such a scheme, whereas very often the waster who ends up penniless at a certain age is able to obtain a pension. In many cases such a system becomes a premium upon inefficiency. Tasmanian Scheme. “Superannuation should he like education—it should be an equal right for everybody. It should also be based upon a means test. In fact, all taxation should be based upon what the individual is able to pay. “New Zealand has done some mighty fine work in education. The Government has provided magnificent schools, good equipment and well-trained teachers, and education has been made a matter of right and not of charity. You have not, as we have not, done the same thing in the university where it should bo done. “This should be taken further. You do practically nothing for the health of many people. You send them into the bush, into mines and into other occupations, and do nothing to take care of their health. The only result if they become ill is an occasional big fee for a doctor. The same thing has applied in Tasmania, and there have even been cases where a doctor has insisted on a man depositing £2O at the nearest post office before he will go out to treat him.” His Government had recognised the need for organisation of health care in Tasmania, said Mr Ogilvie, and it had decided to appoint State medical officers. The scheme would be started at the beginning of next year, and 10 men would ho sent into the country districts. Each would have a definite territory, a dispensary, a house, and a motor-car, and would be responsible

for the health of the people in his area. Ho would be paid, not on the number of cases, but on the preventive nature of his work. At the end of five years it was expected that health insurance in Tasmania would be on the same basis as education. Pane!) System Condemned. Mr Ogilvie said he did not think highly of a national health insurance scheme based on the panel system. It had been tried elsewhere, and had failed, as in Vancouver. The English panel system had also failed to give complete satisfaction. He said he had no fears of not getting sufficient doctors for the Tasmanian health, plan. If he could not get them in Tasmania he would go to Australia, and if he could not get them there he would get them from England. The British Medical Association had regarded the scheme with trepidation when it was announced, and he had told the Tasmanian branch what his intentions were if he could not get local support —that, if necessary, he would bring some of the Jewish doctors who had been exiled from Germany; but lie would not do this unless he was forced to. While he was in England, however, lie had been told that he could get as many doctors from Great Britain as he wanted, and applications had already been sent from all oyer England. THE NEW ZEALAND BILL. NOT BEADY TILL AFTEB CHRISTMAS. WELLINGTON, August 6. The National Superannuation and Health Insurance Bill, which will probably be the most important piece of legislation in the coming session, will not be ready for presentation till after Christmas, according to a statement 'made to-day by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage). The measure would he passed during the coming session, he said, but he expected the session to run into the new year, when the Bill would be dealt with. He was not in a position to say what major legislation would be considered during the session, but he indicated that the Budget and Estimates would be introduced early. He had minor Bills that would be presented, but had not yet had time to study the full programme. “SOCIALISING THE DOCTORS.” GOVERNMENT SCHEME OPPOSED. HASTINGS, August 6, Though the medical profession favoured a health insurance scheme covering some sections of the community, it did not approve the system now proposed by the Government, and it saw no reason for taxing every member of the community to pay for such a scheme, said Dr. R. Cashmore (chairman of the Hastings branch of the British Medical Association) to the Hastings Rotary Club this afternoon. Most doctors were against the proposed scheme, he said, and many would leave the country rather than work under it, although they would get more money from it than they were now receiving. It was not any financial consideration which was influencing them. They were acting in the interests of the health of the country. Under the scheme doctors would become too busy to give individual patients the attention they deserved, and the elimination of competition would remove the incentive to study and to undertake constant research. The Government was making a .beginning by socialising the doctors, because they were the smallest body in the country and their votes counted for nothing.