HEALTH SCHEME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 August 1938, Page 6

HEALTH SCHEME

ATTITUDE OF MEDICAL PROFESSION SERIOUS VIEW OF POSITION TAKEN. REFUSAL TO BE DRAGOONED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Success for the Government’s national health scheme can never be achieved by dragooning an unwilling profession into the acceptance of conditions which it sincerely believes will be to the public detriment. This represents the view of the medical profession toward the Social Security Bill as stated by the special committee of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association which considered the measure at an all-day conference on Saturday. Those present were: Drs. J. P. S. Jamieson, president (Nelson), T. D. M. Stout and P. P. Lynch (Wellington), Frank Macky (Auckland), T. C. Fraser (Hamilton), A. D. S; Whyte (Hawke’s Bay), L. J. Hunter (Palmerston North), N. C. Speight (Dunedin), F. Kahlenberg (Gisborne), R. H. Hogg (Southland), J. P. Duncan (Wanganui), W. P. P. Gordon (Taranaki), and S. W. Hogg (secretary). Dr. Jamieson, in an interview, said that the committee, which was fully representative of the profession in New Zealand, took a serious view of the position and had authorised him to make a public statement. “In spite of representations made up to the last minute by the association to the Government,” he said, 1 “the Bill still provides for a universal general practitioner service. The association, which is the only body competent to offer advice on the professional aspects of the matter, has all along shown that such a proposal is not in the best interests of the health of the people, and for that reason the association will oppose the Bill to the utmost of its power.

“It is evident that the Government’s preconceived views remain unaltered notwithstanding all the representations made in the past by numerous responsible organisations, and all the i evidence submitted to two Parliamentary committees. It is to be hoped, that wiser counsels will yet prevail, and that when the Bill is passed and becomes law its provisions will not be repugnant to the medical profession, without whose co-operation and goodwill the measure must fail. “Success for such legislation can never be achieved by dragooning an unwilling profession into the acceptance of conditions which' it sincerely believes will be to the public deteriment, because the Bill provides nothing which is not available at the present time, adds to the cost, and fails to offer those things which would be of real service.”