ORGANISATION OF THE MEDICAL SERVICES.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2508, 8 July 1915, Page 6

ORGANISATION OF THE MEDICAL SERVICES.

■ (To the Editor.) ' Sir, —The Defence I Minister in tho course of his remarks on the Medical Services would le'ad; the ; public to imagine that there were no regulations relating to tho Medical,' Services in existence. May I be; allowed to correct this impression?. When I was Director of Medical Services, complete, regiila- ; tions were drawn up.j and approved by the Defence Minister and General Babington, dealing with matters V said to be at fault at Trentham. A sanitary organisation, was included, which laid down that the Chief Health Officer sljould be Chief Sanitary Officer of the 'Medical Corps, and that in each military district the District Health Officer be the Chief Sanitary Officer of liis. By the Imperial Regulations, which are followed by lis,. it is ordered that in all camps a sanitary officer is to be appointed, having coiitrol of a sanitary company or squad for the duties of camp sanitation. Each battalion had. its own medical officer, who .was responsible that the advice of the sanitary officer was carried out in his "lines," and in all camps one of the first duties, of the Camp Commander: should be'to detail parties for sanitary services and t<j. lay down times 'and places at which men reporting themselves sick should attend to be inspected and treated first by their own, regimental surgeons, and if necessary sent on to the field ambulance attached to their brigade. I am aware that once Dr. Mason left the service the office of Chief Sanitary Officer has not been filled up. Had the present Chief Health Officer then been appointed to the position, I think, a good deal of the present trouble might have been' avoided. —I am, etc., S. SKERMAN, : Surg.-Gen. (Retired). Mar ton, July 6,-1915.