"WAIT FOR THE DOCTOR."

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1920, Page 5

"WAIT FOR THE DOCTOR."

DON'T REMOVE ACCIDENT VICTIMS. ' Palmerston N., Jan. 20. At an inquest held at Palmerston North yesterday, Dr. Putnam asked the permission of the Deputy-Coroner (Mr. A. J. Graham) to make a statement regarding action taken by the public at times when accidents occur. He said that at the time of the recent railway level-crossing accident lie received a message, and at once sent a telephoned request to the hospital to send an ambulance. He himself rushed to the scene, leaving a number of patients at his consulting rooms. He found that some person had removed the badly injured person in a motor car before he got there. It was possible the patient might be injured by such treatment. In this case there was an ambulance and a medical man in attendance, and it was about time that the public took into consideration their responsibility, and treated the medical profession with a little more consideration.

In reply to the Acting-Coroner, Dr. Putnam said that in such cases people should inquire if a medical man had been telephoned for. Sergeant Fitzpatrick agreed with the doctor's remarks, and said that it was well understood in the Police Department that an injured person should not be moved until a medical man came, because otherwise the person might be seriously injured by being placed in a 'motor-car.

The Acting-Coroner said that the public required educating up to that view, because while they thought they were doing the right thing they might cause a person *seriou9 injury.