MEDICAL SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3056, 17 April 1917, Page 5

MEDICAL SERVICES

DISLOCATED BY THE WAR

STATEMENT BY HON. G.W. ;".;' RUSSELL.

When be was speaking at tlie laying *f the foundation stono of a new wing iof the Auckland Hospital,. during'his recent visit to tho northern city, tne Minister of Public Health (the Hon. •■i G. W. Russell) made some interesting jre-ferences to the medical services of Uhe Dominion. ' . A return recently- prepared by the; ilnspootor-Heiiernl of Hospitals, said Mr. lUissoU, that at the outbreak of war there, were seven hundred and eighty-three! medical men practising in tho Dominion'. Of this number !pne -hundred and ninety wore now sorv- ■:. 4ng -with the Expeditionary Forces outride the Dominion, and forty-seven were engaged on. purely military duty in ; iNew Zealand, leaving enly five hundred ]fend forty-sir available for the needs of ifthe civil population. This brought the inunber very close to the danger line. iTwo questions arose- from the situation—firstly, the maintenance of the \ tivilian.medical Beryices, ; and secondly. ' ithe increase of the number of 'medical [practitioners in the Dominon. He was inclined to -think that there must be Some form , of mobilisation before long, '"{together with a power of transfer simi■]ar to that now existing &t Home, and fthis matter was now being • carefully Considered. \.. •-.....■ - ■-:.-.:.' .'•.'■ ■ New Zealand Training. . - 'A' larger question that was looming fahead was the training of,medical men Sn New Zealand. He was gratified to pearn of the excellent work done by the Ahinedin Medical School.' Experience iad shown that the standard of: the Isohool was satisfactoryi and men were equal to all ■ necessities. The number; of New Zea-Jand-trained doctors, however, must be increased. He had recently stated in '■ Otago that he hoped to seCithe'training tof medical men placed on a moro democratic -basis. The medical course could not in general; be,..undertaken .except ."-. iby. the son? of men-who wero prepared .Jo. spend approximately £500 for the purpose. There Tvere a few cases o| the sons of poor..men' who had assisted ', :■ -themselves during their training by ..fcoaohing,• harvesting, etc., but these -.. (were, comparatively rare. A.few'bur.Saries .were now! granted to fifth-year inen, who received £100 during the last .year-of tleir course.' 'HTiat was want- i . .fed was assistance to deserving men. I -throughout the entire course. Tho fact .that, :New -.possessed -four fcentres, at one of irhich only the medifcal course could be taken, placed difficulties in theiray of poor men. He iwanted to see these-difficulties removed is far as was possible, that opportunity'.might' be given to youths of all ■ felasses of parents. Auckland possess-: . fed the largest hospital hi the Dominion, there.was an abundance of chnical (material there; of. which no use whatfever was being, made for the training tof students. ./Yet itwonld; be, admitted Jthat practical training was as necessary hs the .theoretical—aye, more'~so. The fcame remark'applied to Wellington and IChristoTiurbli. \i the number of medifcal men in New Zealand were to be up to. a proper standard, and '{the profession of medicine opened to all means,must be found for mak- : ;j ing use of all opportunities in the four i 'fcentres. He was not , prepared- at pre'Eent to formulate a scheme.' That rest-

led with tie-heads, of the university "(colleges in Auckland, Wellington, and jOhristchuroh. If they, together with the:' University Senate, the 'Hospital ''Boards,' and the Medical profession, '• would confer, he felt sure a practicable ■'scheme could be evolved. ■■.■• Use-the Big Hospitals. : His desire was- to see the large hos; pitals in all the.'ceiitre's.made available for the training; of medical -students, and, if necessary, after they had ad- ' franced a certain distance in their medibal course. at Dunedin, they could be .transferred to the hospitals in.the dif- '■ iferent centres. for the continuation of • ■ their-practical ■ training. Possibly it iwould be necessary for the Government to assist in this work, but he was sure : that if' the scheme were put upon , a pi-oner footing Parliament would aid in looting the : bill. ; . Hβ wished it to be clearly understood that he did not desire to lower the standard of training. : He did want to see the methods broadened and adapted to ''the-.circumstances.- .of {he Dominion, so that larger opportunities would be given, to men who were now £hut out. No question of. local interest or parochialism appealed , - , to him. > His one desire was to see the medical service ; thrown widely ■ open on cbmpßti- ■ tive examination ■ to promising youths Whose parents wore prepared to make, •some sacrifice on their behalf but were •unable to maic'the sacrifice of £500 at present demanded. It had recently Been stated at fße''openir!g~6f the Medical School at Dunedin that every student cost the people of the.country £220. If this were so, there was all the more . reasorl why such benefit should ue made as wide, as possible. Auckland had a special claim to consideration in con.nection witii this matter, for it possess•ed a;semi-tropical climate, aud ovriug to ,ita contiguity to. the Islands diseases .were treated there .which were not found in any other part of the •cotintry. ~•.' .... ;.-." " ; ,: