SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3098, 31 May 1917, Page 6

SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS

ORGANISATION IMPERATIVE

STATEMENT BY HEALTH

MINISTER

An interesting statement regarding the mescal services of the country was made ■Health (Hon. G. -W. fiusselll. llio question of the mobilisation of tho medical service is assuming a very important aspect," said Mr. liussell. the medical profession up till tho present Has done splendidly in accepting "the call to the colours, and manv practitioners have at great sacrifice thrown up their practices and joined the force* either for work in this country at the camps, and on the Medical Boards, on tho hospital ships, or with the forces in Hio held. As regards medical service for the civilian population, the position is now becoming very acu.te. From various parts of Xow Zealand thero is a call for medical service owiug to the depletion of those districts of doctors by medical men having joined tho forces. Up till the present thero has not been any necessity to conscript medical men for military service, nor do I think there will be any need to consider the question in the future. The fact of a man being a medical man does not give hiir exemption under tho Military Service Act, but in every case where the after tion of the Public Health Department has been drawn to tho fact that a medical man has been drawn in the ballot, we have assisted in the appeal to secure the exemption of the man by the Military Service Board.

"The real question that arises is, How cau the medical services of the country be maintained in view of the shortage of doctors? Some of tho leading hospitals have lately been reduced to the ■direst straits on account of the shortage of qualified medical men. Recently wo had to obtain the services of two medical students from Dunedin jr. order to carry on the work of the Christclnirch Hospital. These facts, and the shortage of doctors in some of the country districts, point to the absolute necessity of the medical services in New Zealand being mobilised and 6ome control exercised throughout the period of the war as to the location of medical men. So far as the large cities are concerned, owing to the large institutions they possess, they will probably be able to win through, although the medical men in practice in the cities are, of course, feeling the pressure; of the large amount of additional work entailed upon them owing to the absence of so many of their professional brethren. This is not at all the position in other districts. For example, the other day! received, word from the Westlaud Hospital Board that there w ; as only one doctor on that part of the coast to cover 300 miles of country. "I have been in conference with the executive" of the British Medical Association, and I understand that a meeting is to be held shortly in Wellington at which matters of this nature will be discussed with a view to possible action in the future. It appears to me that it will he necessary for the State by legislation to take power to place medical men in districts which are without medical service. The financial arrangements arising out of this compulsion will require to be very carefully considered. In England, the policy of compulsion has been in force for some time past, the medical authorities taking power to remove men from the district in which they reside and to place them in other districts in which there may be a shortage. In these oases the men who remain are, I understand, required to pay a proportion of their receipts to the men who are removed, the idea, being that the increased emolument arising from the fact that the work is distributed among a smaller number of doctors makes it fair to adjust the receipts in some way. If the State should at length have to take power.to order the location of medical men, it could not be done arbitrarily. A board would have to be set up upon which the medical profession, the Public Health, and possibly also the Defence Department would have to be fully represented. And the State would have to guarantee an adequate income to the practitioner, an incomo certainly; not less than is paid to doctors holdins commissions in the New Zealand Medical Corps. I hope to have the ' assistance of the B.M.A. at this conference during the coming month in considering the matter before legislation is brought down. I am aware that many j medical men are totally opposed to anything in the way of compulsion, but while the war is on it. becomes necessary in the interests of the State that manv principles of action should be applied that would never be considered for one moment in normal times.'"