MANGAHAO MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

Shannon News, 19 June 1928, Page 3

MANGAHAO MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

HOW IT WAS FORMED AND ,j , FINANCED. The- report 'of the Mangahao Medical Association gives an interesting account of this body and its work. It says:—About seven years ' ago there was founded at Mangahao hydro-elec-tric scheme a Medical Association with the object of giving medical attention to the employees on the works there. With the approaching completion of the big dams at Mangahao, and the departure of the staff and employees to other fields of public works activity, there is passing out of existence a fine and instructive illustration of how cohesion among the workers and assistance from the State can produce the beneficial results which have been achieved by the Mangahao Medical AsI sociation. This association was inauI gurated about seven years ago, primarj ily to give medical attention to its members, but as the number of the .employees increased on the works it became apparent that, with the advent of married men and their families, the scope of the association's operations would have to be enlarged. The Government were approached and asked for a subsidy of £250 per annum to stiffen up the scheme, and this subsidy, having been readily agreed to 1 , has been paid regularly to the association up to the end of the year 1927, when the employees having dropped to a comparatively small number the subsidy was withdrawn. The contribution of members was fixed at 4s 3d per month and from the funds accruing from this source, together with, the Government subsidy, it became possible to enter into an arrangement with the Palmerston North Hospital Board, to whom was handed over the active administration of the association. The Palmerston North Board gave the association the benefits of its experience and organisation and, .with this expert co-operation, the association was immediately stabilised and the smooth working of the scheme assured. Briefly, the Hospital Board undertook to provide: —(a) A qualified medical man, with residence in Shannon, to visit the works once a week or on call; (b) a certified nurse with residence at the back camps; (c) free treatment in hospital for all members and dependents; (d) free ambulance conveyance to the district hospital a,t Palmerston North. For- this service the association made monthly payment to the Hospital Board 'of an average of £BO per month. In addition to the above benefits, the association provided free medicine to all members '.and fixed the maximum fees for maternity cases at £3 3s. As time went to, the association was able also to give free treatment to children for minor operations in their owii homes (adenoids, tonsilitis, etc.), From the back camps at Arapeti and Top Camp members were also assisted/ with transportation fees for urgent cases. The following will give an idea of the scope of the association's operations since its inception: —Amount in contributions and Government subsidy received, £7273; doctors' salaries, £3025; amount paid to nurse, £450; cost of medic hie, £1260; transportation for ur, gent cases, £157; minor operations (adenoids, tonsilitis, etc), £B4; Palmerston North Hospital Board, hospital fees, £1567; management expenses (secretary, etc), £l3O. A committee consisting of two members from each camp carried on the local business of the association. The subscriptions were deducted from the men's pay by the department and the success of this Medical Association and in our considered opinion the success of any other association of a like nature, was due in a large measure to the systemtic and methodical manner in which the members' fees were collected by the department. Almost without exception these were collected without any friction or unpleasantness, as the members were fully alive to the benefits which the association gave, and this report would not be complete if it did not recognise the valuable work done in this respect by the officers of the Public Works Department. Had the collection of dues been left to a local executive we have no hesitation in affirming that the scheme would have been faced with much greater difficulties and in all probabilA. great deal of the success of the ity failure would have been the result, scheme was due to the co-operation of the officers and men on the works.