MEDICAL BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1905, 13 November 1913, Page 10

MEDICAL BOARD.

NEW BODY PROPOSED.

IMPORTANT REGULATIVE ME ISUIIE. .

Following upon the action of other skilled professions in establishing a special board for .tho purposes of regulation and control there lias, now been jntroduccd into tho Legislative Council a special Bill dealing with the medical' profession on similar lines. The Medical Practitioners Bill (in chargo of the Hon. H. D. Bell) was circulated , last evening, and deals comprehensively with 1 the subject. It is provided in the first instance that from March, 1914, there shall he established a Medical Board, to consist of seven members, of whom the inspector-General of Hospitals shall, ex officio, be 0113 while the Governor shall appoint registered medical practitioners -j six positions. Tho period of office is three years, but the Governor • may, at any time, remove any member for "such cause as ho thinks sufficient." After the election of a chairman at the first meeting the board is to meet regularly once a month for the transaction of business. Ono of the principal duties of tho board is to register medical practitioners. The qualification for registration 18 * U), graduation in medicine and surgery in the Ne>v Zealand University: (2) registration under the various Acts obtaining in the United Kingdom, or eligibility for such registration; (3) possession of the diploma of any foreign university after at least five years' proper study. In this latter case tho board may refuse registration if in that foreign country Now Zealand graduates may not without special examination engage in practice. No person may lie registered who has been convicted of an indictable offence involving imprisonment with hard labour for two years or more, or who is not of good i'ame or character. A month's notice in tho "Gazette" and a local newspaper is required for registration, and persons objecting to such registration may forward objections in writing to the Re-gistrar-General. The board is to consider applications and instruct tho Registrar-General as to its decision. In the event of a refusal a rejected applicant may take proceedings in tho Supremo Court.

After specifying the mode x of keeping the register in each centro; the Bill goes on to prov'do that the Supremo Cturt may, 011 tho application of the board, grant an order for the removal from the jegister of tho name of any person guilty of grave misconduct or an indictablo offence. A ponalt.v of £5 per day for each day of the offence is provided for the offence of practising medicine or surgery or. any branch thereof without being registered to do so, or for implying that a degree or diploma is held by the supposed practitioner. For attemptjng to secure fraudulent registration, and -for assisting in that attempt a penalty of threo years' imprisonment with or without hard labour is provided. Othor ■ provisions aro that registered practitioners may sue for fees, and tliat unregistered persons shall not hold medical or surgical appointments in tho Defence Forces, in any hospital or charitable institution under the Hospital Act of 1909, in any mental hospital, prison, public institution, or in any friendly society, under pain of u, £50 fiue. Provisional practising certificates may be granted by the Kegis-tiar-Gcneral to remain in force for two months, but mav be renewed. The Bill is not to affect registered chemists, dentists, or midwives or nnrses.