ACUTE SHORTAGE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 43, 26 January 1945, Page 5

ACUTE SHORTAGE

OF MEDICAL PRAC-* TITIONERS DISTRICT POSITION SERIOUS The fact that no applicants replied to the Whakatane Hospital Board's advertisement j for a House Surgeon for the local hospital precipitated considerable discussion at yesterday's meeting of the Board t when it was suggested that greater sluccess might atte'nd an advertisement offering a similar position but giving the right of private practice. A letter from the Director-Gen-eral of Health indicated that a number of young doctors were coming back with the military forces from overseas, and that these would be but that after two or three years experience with the forces they would probably require a salary of £600 per annum. The Secretary t Mr Allan Bridger indicated that he had written to the Director-General asking if the Rehabilitation authorities could assist by way of subsidy towards the requisite salary of one such medical officer. Mr Mull ins: We have been unsuccessful in securing a House Surgeon with a full-time hospital duty. It might be better if we advertised again giving the. right to private practice. This would not only meet the position at the hospital but it would also relieve the drastic shortage of doctors in the district. The Mr A. F. agreed that the position as far as consulting medical men was. Concerned was very serious. People had had to wait up till midnight for an interview. Mr Burt: I have known of cases where residents of Matata have made a special trip in and after Avaiting all day have been forced to go home without a consultation. The queseion of re-advertising for a House Surgeon along the lines suggested by Mr Mullins was left in the hands of the secretary to finalise with the medical superintendent on his return from his holidays.