VALUE TO BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26621, 18 November 1947, Page 6

VALUE TO BOARD

MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS

DR McMILLAN’S VIEWS

Dr D. G. McMillan, addressing a meeting at Broad Bay last night, paid a tribute to the work carried on by the hospital staff, doctors, sisters, nurses, and to the kitchen staff, porters, engineers, painters, laundry workers and a host of others whose work is less obvious but non the less important. He said that he had received willing co-operation from all. from the senior to-the most junior, during his term as chairman, co-operation which he greatly appreciated. “It is usual,” he said, “ at the end of a campaign, to tidy up one’s campaign, so to speak, explaining any matters still in doubt and answering any remaining criticism.” Attack Resented Dr McMillan quoted the report of Dr N. North’s speech from the Otago Daily Times dated 15/11/47, in which Dr North said: “He and his fellow Citizen candidates for office, after years of post-graduate hospital training, were much better fitted than those young men on the red ticket, who have little, and, in some cases, no postgraduate training.” “ This is an amazing and misleading piece of electioneering,” added Dr McMillan, “as Dr North has no post-graduate degree qualifications. His qualifications of M.B. Ch.B. are identical with the qualifications of those he was criticising. .It is no use saying he had been here or been there. If anyone wishes to practise medicine it is no good anyone saying he had been so long at the Medical School, the vital part is, has he passed the examinations and qualified as a doctor, and it is the same with post-graduate qualifications. “It is true. that Dr -North is assistant tutor at Queen Mary, but it is also correct to say that at the time he was appointed no one with post-gradu-ate qualifications in this work applied for the position, and it is also equally correct to s&y that arrangements were made some time ago, of which Dr North was notified, for his present position at Queen Mary t obe taken over at the beginning of next year by Dr Marion Stewart, who has postgraduate qualifications in obstetrics.

“Dr Marion Stewart’s position is a dual one, as are most of the Hospital Board appointments, being partly University and partly Hospital Board. We have no feelings in the matter; we would have been pleased to appoint Dr North to* the position to which Dr Stewart has been appointed, but the plain, fact is that he has no post-graduate qualifications, which our regulations correctly require of all our permanent appointees. I have no feelings against anyone, and I mention these facts with regret, but I would be lacking in my duty to my colleagues if I allowed such a misleading and unworthy attack ,fo pass uncorrected. The Best Member

“The Hospital Board is an administrative body, and the possession of medical qualifications, post-graduate and otherwise, is beside the point, ’ They may be a help" to a member 1 , or may be a hindrance. The best member of a hospital board I have ever met was a layman, and without doubt the most useless member I have ever known was a medical man. Two members of Dr North’s own ticket are longstanding members of the Hospital Board, and his incorrect criticism of their and our supposed lack of interpoition at Queen Mary to be taken work is just as unfair as his attack on my colleagues, and ill becomes one aspiring fpr the responsible honour of local body membership.” Dr McMillan paid a tribute to the Blood Transfusion Society, the St. John Ambulance Association and the Red Cross Society, and concluded by urging' one and all to vote early and vote the full Labour ticket.

(Published by Arrangement.)