Backblocks and Doctors.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 15, 19 January 1904, Page 4

Backblocks and Doctors.

QUESTION' DISCUSSED JJY THE HOttt'ITAL liOAltD. At the Hosjrital Board yesterday. Mr Andrews moved, according to notice, that the Government be asked to subsidise two medical men to take up practice in Die backblocks, one to reside at or near Mokau, and the other at or near Speaking to the. motion, Mr .Andrews said they all deplored the hardships sulTeixd in the b'ackjxlocks. It had lieen urged that the Stratford cottage hospital wou>d iill the want, but that would s.rve cruly a few people. it was impossible, too, to have an ambulance 'in every bush camp, so the Advocates of bush amM-dances could licit claim to have solved the difliculty. In the previous discussion on this tijiestion it haid been said t'hiat it woailid be impossible to secure a capable man. He had been told that in many centres young jdoctors were pushing out many of the o-lder, but fairly capable practitioners, some of whom w-oiild be willing to commence practice in the fbuckblocka. He found that the Government already subsidised doctors in somv country districts. Another ftilgjumeni that had been adduced •agtainst the motion was that the 4 jock districts were amply served by telephoinie, and a doctor was easily obtained. That argument had no weigut with Mm. lie urged that it would la* to subsidise a resvdenL doctor than to luave a repetition of a recent atVair, when a man injured in the .Mokau district bad Ix'e-n bsought into the hospiral at the expense of some £ SO, ami kept at the hk>s'ivital until restored to health. The patient then left without jAiyi'nig his fees, altli«Hig|h he had received £SO compensation- for accident. Besides accidents there were other cases of illness, in which set'tlprs would be .'raved considerable expense if they had a resident doctor, obviating the necessity of conveying sick people to £ hospital.

Mr (3 ray suinl lie umclersttwid the Government was now subsidising country medica! men. lie supported (In l motion.

Mr Mackay opposed the mrvtHm, tn-giny thai there would be iiisuflieit'h't inducement to a gunKl man. The best subsidy Wiat tin' (Ibvitiimelit could g'ive would be to road the l/iirk disti'icts, a:md ilien with these laeililieii a mculieal man would scion estajhliuh l.'imself in the more prosperous of the back settlements.

Mr lline said he knew the Whung'amomf«na ii,eoj)le were prep;]red to (•(/■ntrihute towards the walary of a medical man for that district. He was eon(Mt*nt that men could «ie oViUiined, au.l that their advent would be haikrl with deli K ht by l.ackblock settlers.

Mr Cock thought that £10(1 votud to each of the sim(./,>sU',l localities would l.e money well spent. lie would also support the Stratford cottage hospital movement.

The chairman said it was not yet a Lpiestion ol money, but merely a r<> M |,iest in order to liml out the attit ii'de ol the (lovenime'iit. lie wo'uhl support, the motion. Mr Andrews said that this scheme, if put iivlo operation, would commend itself to a medical main with a family of sons, whom he wouhl liko to settle on the land.

'lliv mot ion was carried, the House (.oinimtln' ilM ,l Mr Andrews to conler wit.li Messrs Smith, Jennings, ™;' S ' VI "" s < W's-ir.U., a., the niat-