NATIVE MEDICAL SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1751, 16 May 1913, Page 4

NATIVE MEDICAL SERVICE.

REORGANISATION DJSCUSSED. (By Telegraph—PreGß Association.) Christchurch, May 15. As regards the reorganisation of the Na/ tive Medical Service the Hon. 1!. Heatoi Rhodes, Minister for SPublic Health, f-ait in reply to ail inquiry by a reporter that this was rendered necessary b.v the varied terms on which medical officers were appointed by the various Departments from which 'they received subsidies prior to the service being handed over to tlio administration of the Public Health Department. Tho matter is still further complicated by the stipulation attached to ; tlie various trusts, such as the hemp Trust, and the Native lentils from which home of the medical officers aro paid. He felt sure that as a result of the reorganisation the money available tor medical and nursing attendance on the Maoris would l>o more equitably distributed. It was also necessary that this branch o( the medical service should be correlated with that of the Hospital Boards so that the latter might be better acquainted villi this important branch of the medical servico and act in co-operation therewith. To put the matter on a substantial basis had necessitated reference lu old-time treaties and acts from the Treaty of Wailangi onwards and it was hoped that as a result of live investigations now being made by tho Department many matters affecting the. medical and nursing assistance to the Maoris which had been such vexedqui'-siiows.to mwny; Ilospii;u Boards would 1 be cleared up. In thy meantime twenty-four medical officers had been asked to continue attending tin? Maoris as heretofore, pending a definite agreement villi the Department as to their nclunl responsibilities and negotiations were in progress with others. Tho nurses appointed for tho special among tlio Maoris were, Iho Minister i paid, doing splendid «rvico as could bo gathered from the reports from the cniergencv hospitals lor tvphoid established at Ohaewai and Waiapu, where excellent results had been obtained. Tn conclusion Mr. Rhodes said that lie anticipated a great extension of which naturally involve a larger expenditure than in'the past, and he had every reason to believe that those responsible for the administration of these Native trusts would be ready to give the substantial assistance that, was necessary to make til is an efficient branch of. the medical service of the Department of ' Public Health. ,