PLACING THE BLAME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 May 1939, Page 6

PLACING THE BLAME

HEALTH SCHEME BELAYS STATEMENT FOR MEDICAL PROFESSION. ENTIRE RESPONSIBILITY ON GOVERNMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “The attempt by the Minister of Health to place responsibility for the delay in the operation of the health provisions of the Social Security Act on the medical profession cannot deceive anyone with a knowledge of the facts,” said Dr J. P. S. Jamieson, chairman of the Health Insurance Committee of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, in a statement today. “The Minister,” Dr Jamieson said, “goes so far as to say:— ‘‘ ‘lf the association persists in its present attitude, its responsibility in delaying, curtailing or obstructing the Government’s security and health services'will be very great and the odium of even a partial prevention of the people enjoying the full benefits will inevitably be associated with the instigators of its policy.’ “Such a statement, emanating from Mr Fraser,” said Dr Jamieson, “is not what we have been led to expect from him in the past. If Mr Fraser will only examine the position further, he see that if there is any odium to be borne, it must be placed entirely upon the shoulders of the Government. The scheme is the Government’s scheme and not that of the medical profession. When drawing up that scheme the Government completely disregarded the representations of the New Zealand branch of the B.M.A. on the subject. A measure was enacted according to the Government’s own ideas and the _ Government thus went over the heads of the medical profession, whose services were necessary to carry it into effect. The scheme is thus entirely the Government's, and if there is any odium to be attached to failure to carry it into effect, that stigma surely must rest with the Government. The Government should first have made sure that it would receive the approval and co-operation of the profession concerned and framed its proposals accordingly. If the Government had considered the scheme recommended by the association, it would have secured not only the whole-hearted approval, but the active co-operation of the profession. Instead it produced a scheme which the medical profession conscientiously believes would in operation lower the standard of medical practice in New Zealand, and, this being the case, the profession would be acting contrary to their sense of public duty if they attempted to carry it out. In the Act' theie is provision for medical men contracting in for service under it. this being entirely optional. . What blame or odium, then, can be attached to the profession when they actually exercise the right given them by the Government under the Act by not accepting contracts?

While the Minister seeks to place blame on the profession for the delay or non-fulfilment of the health scheme,” said Dr Jamieson in conclusion, “the truth is that even if the profession were ready and willing to accept it at once, the Government could not put it into operation. We are but now at the stage which should have been reached at least a year before the legislation was enacted.”