CRITICISM WITHDRAWN

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1031, 23 July 1930, Page 11

CRITICISM WITHDRAWN

DR. VALINTINE’S REMARKS ABOUT DOCTORS “IN HEAT OF ARGUMENT” Press Association TIMARU, Tuesday. On the occasion of the recent deputation to the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, in Wellington, regarding the use of small wards in hospitals as private wards, Dr. T. H. A. Valintine, Director-General of Health, said “the medical profession wants watching.” Referring to the matter at the opening of a new maternity hospital at Temuka today, Dr. Valintine said he very much regretted that he said a rather unfortunate thing in Wellington. The occasion was when a deputation waited on the Minister and asked him to allow some small wards in hospitals to be used as private wards. With that suggestion he was not in favour, and in the heat of arguing he was constrained to say something quite unwitting y detrimental to the medical profession. As a matter of fact, he said unfortunately that the medical profession wanted watching. “That was an ungenerous statement for me to make,” said Dr. Valintine, “because I am sensible of the excellent work the medical profession has done, and is doing, throughout the length and breadth of the country. With a population of barely 1,500,000, we have 700 doctors, and 600 of these were trained in New Zealand, and we have surgeons, physicians, obstetricians and bacteriologists second to none in the world.

“Therefore I take this opportunity of saying how sorry I am that in the heat of argument. I overstepped the mark. I suppose it is a sign that 1 am getting old. I have been through many experiences during my official career, and I do not think I have forgotten myself in the past. I said too much, and I apologise to the members of the medical profession.”