HEALTH OF EX-SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1922, Page 5

HEALTH OF EX-SOLDIERS.

THE GOVERNMENT’S TREATMENT. AN ANSWER TO CRITICISMS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Minister for Defence and the Director-General of Medical Services explained to the R.S.A. conference the policy of the Government regarding the opinions of medical men upon disabilities in ex-soldiers. It had been complained that the Defence Department constantly failed to recognise the value of signed statements of medical men tracing a soldier’s disabilities from war service. Sir Donald McGavin denied that the department was slack in its methods. Every case received proper consideration, and it was incorrect that the D.G.M.S. alone made the decisions. The decisions rested with the War Pensions Board. Medical certificates were certainly of essential value, and doctors were required to state the reasons for their recommendation. In all cases a medical history sheet was obtained from the superintendent of a hospital, and this enabled the D.G.M.S. to judge how long a disease had been in existence. Sometimes they found doctors examining soldiers when not aware of the war history of the patient; doctors had certified as suffering from shellshock men who had never got further than England.

The Minister (Sir R. ll.' Rhodes) denied that any direction or suggestion was ever made to the D.G.M.S. that as a means of economy he should minimise the number of pensions granted. The Pensions Board and the Medical Appeal Board were quite independent of action by Parliament and Cabinet. Cabinet as a whole was sympathetic in the interests of returned soldiers.

The conference decided it would be unwise to further press the matter.