Very Inconsiderate Of Doctors

Chronicle (Levin), 10 September 1948, Page 3

Very Inconsiderate Of Doctors

WELLINGTON, Sept". 9. \ Tlie Labour Govefnment had done niore in fosfering soeial medicine than had the British Medical Association, deelared Mr. W. T. Anderton (Auckland Central — Labour), continuing the Budget debate in. the House of Representatives tonight. The uncooperative attitude of the B.M.A., was handicapping the Government in its.- programme pf building up a sound systepr of social medicine. . r ' f'We have got social security but n'ot social medicine," he "said. The majocr. ity of practitioners were ,not . soeially 'intelligent. . .: . Opposition voices:' Ahaf Mr. Anderton said our medical services should be on a salaried basis liiianced from the social sficurity fund.' Mr. Andertota. ;said*-there" should be; hbalth centres located abcording to the distribution of population * and doietors should be paid good salaries according to their ability to meet the needs of the population. Surely the medical profession did not have a mere vested interest in sickness. Opposition member: Is this the Left Wing again? Mr. Anderton said properly run health centres would prevent a tremendous amount of ho.spitalisation now occurring. An intelligent section of the community could not wili'ully fail to accept its responsibilities to cooperate in a scheme for better medical services. A salaried scheme would give doctors greater opportunities for paid° research worlc at liome and abroad than they had ever enjoyed. Surely the medical profession could. put forward some prQposals for assisting the Govern: ment and Health Department in- de-' veloping preveutive medicine for the benefit of the community as a whole. The doctors had the sohition of the problem in their own hands. If the doctors disliked Stat.e schemes it was because they did not "realise 'the true value of such schemes from their own point of view. The cooperation of the profession with thc Government would enable the present social securityf uuds to be used more profltably to improvfc the health of the people.