DOCTORS FOR THE COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1917, Page 5

DOCTORS FOR THE COUNTRY.

A SERIOUSTPOSISTIOK, >j I (Our PartiaWntWvfVeVqrter.) c j ...Wellington,''Sept, 21.1: :■ ; A ques'tiftn tfefarding th^'provision of \ doctors for titffl&sy districts was-aske/l i in the House of Representatives by JVtfr. : Wilkinson (Egmont). who pointed out ! tie position 'Jiai-jbegbme vei'Meri- ! ous 4 ' indeed. ■ weiols • was so acujtc that flta necessary medical < attendance could not' be secured in some ■ parts of the country;' : "■ i K; > , * Mr. Jennings CTaumarunui) supported . jSlr, Wilkinson. He said that in his own : •"atstrlct people had "-died Abecauseuiihei'e no medical man within reach. He had already urged the subject on the attention .of the Government. The H0n..6. W. Russell said tha 1 matter had received the most careful consideration of the Government. He realised that the position in some". districts was acute and could not be allowed to continue. Efforts had been made to arrange the terms of legislation with the British Medical Association. That bod}*, however, desired that any medical organisation should be under the controlof the Defonee Department, and he did not know if it would be possible to come to an agreement. The treatment of civilians by a military service seemed to hiin to be impracticable. He hoped inas In the following week a Bill would bfc ready to come before the House, and members would see then that every effort wa» being made to overcome the difficulty created by the calling up of doctors for military service. 'Replying to a suggestion made by Mr, Jennings that New Zealand should go to the United States for a supply o? doctors, Mr. Russell said lie would go so fCi a? to say that the civilian neeus of the country must be supplied. If doctors , could not be secured in one way thSv.j fmust.be secured iii another. ,