A MEDICAL GRIEVANCE.

Te Puke Times, Volume II, Issue II, 16 September 1913, Page 3

A MEDICAL GRIEVANCE.

Dli YOUNG INTERVIEWS THE TOWN BOARD.

Dr Young waited on the Town Board at its meeting last evening, and explained that he was present to ventilate a grievance, that of another medical man being sent to Te Puke to vaccinate, whilst he (the speaker) who had been appointed a Public Vaccinator, was 011 the spot, prepared to do the work. He understood that Dr Couzjiis visited To Puke with a letter stating that Dr Valentine was anxious concerning the outbreak of the epidemic at Manga* peehi, and that the Board was under the impression that he was an oflieer of the Public Health Department.' Tins was not so, as Di* Cou;:ens ha I simply been appointed a public vaccinator, and had a roving commission. He (Dr Young) had no grievance with the Town Board, but he had with the Health Department. Prior to Dr Coupons coming here, he (the speaker) had vaccinated between 500 and GOO people, and had spent a lot of time hunting for suspects who had escaped, for which he would never be paid. His giievance was that DrCouzens had been sent to Te Puke, accompanied by a Serjeant of Police, who had instructed the load constable to lay aside his ordinary duties, and devote his time to assisting 'Dr Coiizens. The consequence was that about two hundred and fifty persons had been beaten up for the latter to vaccinate. Why did he (the speaker) not get that assistance ? Again, before Dr Couzens visited the Whakatane district, Dr Wadmore, the resident doctor, was written to and asked if there were any outside cases that could be attended to. That courtesy was never extended to himself. The position was that the local medical man had been shunted. As a protect against the treatment he had received, for lie was not a man to be sat on, he intended to resign his position as Public Vaccinator. lie intended also to communicate with Dr Valentine and if ho did not secure justice would carry the matter still further, and bring it before Parliament. Dr Young next alluded to the delay in not appointing him medical adviser to the Natives, as promised in a letter from the Department of May 10th, He hoped that the Town Board and Road Board would conjointly forward a letter to the Department drawing attention to the fact that no appointment of a medical man to attend the Natives had yet been made, and also that there was no reason why Dr Couzens should have been sent to Te Puke when the resident doctor was willing to undertake the work. Dr Young then thanked the Board for the courteous manner in which he had been received.

The Chairman read a wire from the Department, received a few weeks n;(o. stating that in the event of a:i outbreak Dr Young would be authorised to take all necessary stens. He explainel that the Hoard had no knowledge that Dr Coii,;ens intended visiting Te Puke, and did not realise that it was likely to injure Dr Youngs practice. _ Ho gave particulars of the meeting with Dr Couzens.

In reply to Mr Bayliss. Dr Younir stated that all tho appointments of medical men for attending indigent natives lapsed on the olst March.

•Mr Kin# said lie took it that the object of IV Yo-mg's visit was to paint out tint ho had been unfairly treated in connection with the visit of Dr Cotizens to the district. If the Board considered he hud been treated with injustice it was their duly to forward a letter of protest to the Minister for Public Health and to Dr Valentine. He moved that the matter be referred to a subcommittee consisting "f the Chairman, the Clerk, and mover to draw up and forward such a letter.

This was seconded by Mr Tees and carried.