HEALTH SCHEME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 October 1938, Page 5

HEALTH SCHEME

PREMIER ON PRELIMINARY WORK MEDICAL PROFESSION ASKED TO HELP THREE COMMISSIONERS TO BE APPOINTED (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Preliminary work involved in preparing for the inauguration of the social security scheme qn April 1 was outlined briefly by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage, in an interview yesterday. He said that early attention woulld have to be given to the appointment of the three commissioners to administer the scheme. Mr Savage said that departmental heads were getting the machinery ready for the operation of the scheme, and that they were to report to the Government. It would then be the Government’s job to get things ready for action on April 1. “It is a big thing and it involves much preliminary work,” said Mr Savage. “It means arranging for buildings and administrative offices all over the country.”

Discussing the health side of the scheme, Mr Savage said that the Government would have to get the medical profession ready for the administration of the law. “That will involve consultation with the doctors,” he added. “We are as,king them to help us shape the administration of the regulations. We want decent conditions for the medical profession and for everyone who plays a part in administration. “The doctors will not be doing worse for themselves than they are today from the financial point of view, and they will be freer at the end of their service than they are today; that is, they will have more leisure and less to worry about so far as their annual income is concerned. “It has been suggested that the standard of service might fall away because of that. Ido not believe it. We have thousands of State servants whose standard of service is equal to any in the world, and what applies to them will apply to the doctors.” ,