MATERNITY BENEFITS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 May 1939, Page 5

MATERNITY BENEFITS

COMMENCING NEXT MONDAY ANNOUNCEMENT BY HEALTH MINISTER. CONTRACTS WITH DOCTORS AND NURSES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Maternity benefits under the Social Security Act are to commence on Monday next. The Minister of Health, Mr Fraser, announced last evening that the arrangements for the completion of contracts with licensees of private hospitals, medical practitioners, and obstetric nurses had progressed sufficiently for him to determine the date on and after which the maternity benefits would be available. This commencing date was Monday, May 15. Benefits that will be available under the maternity section of the Social Security Act and the payments that will be made to doctors, obstetric nurses, public maternity hospitals, and licensed' maternity hospitals participating in the scheme were announced by Mr Fraser towards the end of last month. He said it was estimated that the provision of maternity benefits would cost the Social Security Fund upward of £500,000 a year. He was satisfied that the- people of New Zealand would agree that the money was well spent and would give wholehearted support to the scheme. Mr Fraser said it was hoped to make available on May 10 lists of those who had entered into contracts. “These lists,” he said, “will be published by advertisement and otherwise, so that women in need of ante-natal advice and attention, as well as those approaching confinement, can be informed which medical practitioners in their locality are available to give the free medical services, including advice, care and attention provided for under the Social Security Act. _ ■ “When lists have been made avail-1 able and the appointment date of commencement has been announced, patients desirous of taking advantage of the various benefits must, of course, select from the relative list, in addition to the doctor, the private hospital or obstetric nurse from whom they desire to receive the servic.es. Services in relation to maternity in any licensed private hospital or at the hands of any medical practitioner, midwife, or maternity nurse, can be made the subject of benefits only of course where the licensee, practitioner, or nurse concerned has completed a contract.” FIRM STAND URGED. HAWKE’S BAY RESOLUTION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) HASTINGS, May 8. Urging the Government “to take a firm stand and treat the British Medical Association in the same manner as strikers in any, other industry,” 'the Hawke’s Bay branch of the Electrical Workers’ Association at a meeting pledged itself to support the Government in any action it might think fit, “even to importing doctors from overseas.” The meeting strongly supported the social security legislation and the following resolution was adopted: “That this meeting of electrical workers of Hawke’s Bay strongly condemns the attitude of the British Medical Association in attempting to sabotage the finest piece., of social legislation ever placed in the Statute Book of any country, and urges the Government to take a firm stand and treat the British Medical Association in the same manner as strikers in any other industry. The electrical workers are behind the Government in any action it may think fit, even, to importing doctors from overseas.”