BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION IGNORED.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 251, 14 July 1915, Page 3

BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION IGNORED.

DOCTORS OFFER TO ASSIST MILITARY. DEFENCE MINISTER FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE LETTERS. STRONG CONDEMNATION. Dr H. E. G ibbs, hon. secretary of the Bttjltish Association of New Zealand, writes as follows to the New Zealand Times, under date Wellington, July 9th: Sir, —Many medical men are amazed and puzzled by the attitude of the Hon. James Allen. The medical profession as a whole has been eagdr and anxious to play its part in this war, as is arm ply evidenced by the numbers of doctors who have already given their services to the Army. One would think that one of the first things to have been done was to consult the medical profession upon matters that are peculiarly its own. On the contrary, in New Zealand the profession has been absolutely ignored by the military authorities, and by the Minister for Defence in particular. The doctors expected daily that some proposal for their organisation for assistance in the present crisis w'ould be brought to their notice, but after waiting in vain a special meeting was convened in Wellinton of doctors of the British Medical Asscoiation, and it was resolved to submit proposals to the Minister with a view to assisting the authorities in their present predicament.

Twelve days ago a letter was sent to Hie Minister with an offer to meet him to discuss the present state of medical military affairs. One of our proposals was to provide a sufficient medical staff for supervising and treat, ing the sick soldier in Wellington and at Berhampore and Kaiwarra, and at other temporary hospitals. To this we have made special study of military hygiene, their advice has not been taken, nor their services availed of. Owing to the regulations, these officers had no means of giving expression to their opinions, or of playing their proper part. The whole profession in its inability to help has been <resUvq and perplexed. Even under the new regime,in which the public expected greater latitude, the conditions so far from improving have inclined in the ovposite direction. We pass over the proposal that the profession should give its services gratuitously and tho fact that doctors are the only people of whom this is expected, and cam e to the astounding ‘revelation that Dr Valentine has reported to the Government that if it were necessary he is prepared to nationalise the medical service of this country,, and this without any consultation with the Medical Assocaition which is the' only body representative of medical opinion in New Zealand. How can the people expect satisfactory conditions to exist in the camp, that sick soldiers will receive- the medical treat 7 ”put that, 1s thc-ir* v/hen the authorities so studiously avoid taking authoritative medical advice from the medical profession itself?

In justice to th e medical profession as a whole, which has incurred censure for matters pertaining to it but over which it has absolutely no control, the time has a.vived when these facts should b e made public.