MEDICAL SERVICES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 172, 7 August 1937, Page 5

MEDICAL SERVICES

Our Ovm Correspondent.)

Problem of Prevention of Disease 'NEWER ORDER,>

(From

AUCKLAND, This Day. That the time is rapidly approaching when there will be a definite movement towards the nationalisation of medical services throughout the world is tho considered opinion of Dr. J. F. Gaha, Minister of Health in Tasmania, and senior surgeon of the Hobart Hospital, who is a through passenger by the Monterey for Sydney returning from the Coronation celebrations in London. "Bussia has nationalised her medical services both in respeet to genex'al practice and researeh," said Dr. Gaha. "The scheme is gxving entire satisfaction, and medical aien I came in contact with from that country, who represented the best opinion in the profession, declared their preference for nationalisation as against the competitivo system of private practice. In it one of the political strides is being made in the newer order, aud is a movement towards a more aovanced bureaucratic system. ' ' The time has arrived for the introduction of intensive publio health activities in all parts of the world," he continued. "People are becoming more health-conscious. There are indieatxons that in future a larger proportion of the axoney now spont on the problem of health will be diverted to the problem of prevention of di'sease. This seems to be the trend of modern thought. ' ' Both' Australia and New Zealand have the facilities to develop the best medical services in the world. The initial cost may be high, and annual cost remain costly for a number of years. Ultimately, however, the expenditure will be reduced as preventive methods are more extensively adopted, and ' both these countries will eventually have population^ of healthy active people with a high produetive capaeity, and the Empire Will be the gainer in the long run. What will be largely aioied at is the eradication as far as possible of epidemie disease which takes a hugo toll of life and is costly to every nation." Eef erring to Tasmania 's scheme to appoint medical officers for sparsely settled country districts Dr. Gaha said that the best men that could be procured would ' be seleeted, and their salaries would possibly x'ange from £700 to £1000 a year. They were to be available free to the whole of the residents in the area over whieh they had jurisdiction. He had not investigated the British panel system, but had )xeard conflicting reports of the good and evil of the scheme. He preferrei the system that his Government had sponsored — the appointmeut as eivil servunts of full time oiedi''al men whosp services would be free to the public. * ' ' That will meet the situation in Tasmania at all events," he added.,