STATE & DOCTORS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1941, Page 4

STATE & DOCTORS

BIG STICK TO BE USED IF NECESSARY STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF HEALTH. CRITICISM OF MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 9. “Nobody likes to wield the big stick or cares to have to force people to do things that they will not do voluntarily, but at the same time the actions of some people make that course not merely desirable but imperative,” declared the Minister of Health, Mr Nbrdmeyer, tonight after condemning an action of the British Medical Association, as disclosed in a letter he read, advising doctors to terminate their present arrangements with lodges if lodges accepted the Government’s subsidy. “I have said before, and I repeat tonight. that I am convinced that if the rank and file of the medical profession were to have their way we would have the medical scheme operating today,” said the Minister. “Because of the tyranny exercised by persons in responsible positions in the B.M.A. the rank and file are not unwilling, but only unable, to co-operate as they personally would like.” Having denounced the statement, in a letter purporting to have been written by the honorary secretary of the Palmerston North division of the 8.M.A., that doctors had been advised To terminate their contracts with friendly societies which accepted a subsidy from the Social Security Fund, the Minister continued that he understood that medical men were saying that people did not want the scheme, that only the politicans wanted it and that the people had not demonstrated that they wanted it put into operation. He had advised people to go to doctors and show how much they wanted the scheme. The doctors replied that it was unfair to coerce them in that way. The plain fact was that men and women of all shades of political opinion had reached a stage when public opinion would be such that no Government would be able to fight against or neglect the demand foi - action. “The greater part of the Social Security scheme has come into effect, but there is still this one thing to do,” the Minister concluded. “The Government is not going to allow its promise to the people to be unfulfilled. It is not going to be baulked in its desire to implement its election pledges by a small section of the community—unquestionably a valuable section. A small section cannot possibly be allowed to usurp the function of Government.”