MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF RECRUITS.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1917, Page 6

MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF RECRUITS.

GRIEVANCES VENTILATED. (By Wire.—Parliamentary ■Reporter.) Wellington, August 23. The grievances arising from the medical examination of recruits were mentioned again in the House of Representatives to-day. Special reference was made by members to the ease of a Dunedin man who was passed as fit by a medical hoard, in spite of his assertion that he suffered from chronic asthma and rheumatism. The man was compelled to suffer a very heavy financial loss in the disposal of his business, and was then declared unfit ;by another board, with the result that lie and his dependents are now penniless and without prospects. The Minister for Defence said he realised the Government would have to deal with cases of this kind in some way or other. He knew that mistakes v/ero occurring all over the place, but he did not see how tlie difficulty was to be overcome. "Members: "The Government should pay for those mistakes." The Minister added that in order to make the medical examinations uniform the medical officers had been required to spend a certain period in camp, and this arrangement had had a good effect, but there were always doubtful eases. Some of these men improved with:, training and became fit, wTiile othersi did not improve and had eventually to ; he turned down. The medical officers: -could not exempt men on their own' statements. It should be remembered in connection with the demand for compensation that men who were fit were required to make financial sacrifices. If the man whose case had been mentioned had been sent to the front no complaint' would have been heard. Mr. Isitt: He has had to make a useeial Sa ICe for tllc blunder of an offiThe Minister: That is the question Did an official blunder?