REFUGEE DOCTORS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 January 1943, Page 3

REFUGEE DOCTORS

ADMISSION TO NEW ZEALAND. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. No refugee doctors, except a few for whom permits had been previously issued, had been admitted to the Dominion since the outbreak of war. Applicants who had applied for admission to the Medical School had been in the country for some time. The Government's policy was that no enemy ailens were to be allowed into the country during the war. These statements were made by the Minister of Health, Mr. Nordmeyer, replying to discussions at the University Senate session on the Medical Council’s opposition to further refugee doctors being allowed to take the course. •

The statement by Dr. W. Newlands that “some of the incomes earned by refugees in New Zealand at present were astonishing,” was referred to Mr. Nordmeyer. “Dr. Newlands does not specifically refer to doctors, but if he did so, the only comment I would care to make is that some doctors other than refugees are also paying considerable taxes,” replied Mr. Nordmeyer. He said that refugee doctors who had graduated again from the Medical School had been very useful, through the shortage of medical men. Some of them had settled down in communities which had not preivously been able to secure the services of doctors.