NATIVES AND MEDICAL ATTENTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1166, 1 November 1913, Page 2

NATIVES AND MEDICAL ATTENTION.

AN INTERESTING CASE

A case of considerable interest to both the medical fraternity and natives was heard at the Magistrate’s Court, before Mr J, W. Poynton, S M., yesterday, in which Dr Adams claimed 14s for medical attendance from Tuiti McDonald, a Native. Dr Adams gave evidence to the effect that defendant had on several occasions promised to pay the amount, but these promises bad nor been fulfilled. The defendant admitted that the medical attendance charged for had been rendered, but put forward as a defence the statement that the plaintiff was at the time under appointment to the Government as medical adviser to the natives in the district, tor which service he received a subsidy, and that he, together with the other natives, was under the impression that auy medical atteulion was to be paid for by the Government. He said that a list of indigent natives, which list included his (defendant’s) name, had been passed by plaintiff as correct, aud forwarded to the Minister. The persons included in the list were to be medically treated by plaintiff without cost to the individual natives, aud defendant contended that it was for treatment of this description that plaintiff received the subsidy from the Government.

Plaintiff denied that he authorised any list of indigent natives to be forwarded to the Minister. He admitted having consulted with defendant with a view to getting a list drawn up, but no such list had even been shown to him.

The letter from the Department offering plaintiff the appointment as medical adviser to indigent natives was produced. The Magistrate said that from the wording of the document there was nothing to prevent plaintiff from getting judgment against any native, indigent or otherwise, that he attended. He said judgment would have to be lor plaintiff. There had always been a great deal of trouble in similar cases, aud some other arrangement between the Department aud the medical men was necessary. If the defendant approached the Department on the matter he would be willing to furnish a report in connection with same.

Judgment was entered up for plaintiff for the amount claimed, Judgment was also entered up against J. McGregor on a similar claim lor ss, with costs 20s 6d. Mr Moore, who appeared for plaintiff, said he wanted to make it clear that plaintiff, according to his agreement with the Department, had the right to use his own discretion as to what natives he considered were indigent. In the two cases above mentioned the natives were well able to pay. The Magistrate said that for the small subsidy received it was not feasible that plaintiff was expected to render free medical attendance lb all the natives in the district.