MEDICAL CERTIFICATES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 March 1943, Page 4

MEDICAL CERTIFICATES

ABUSE ALLEGED, SOME DEEMED WORTHLESS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The issuing of what were called "almost worthless” certificates by some members of the medical profession was among the subjects discussed at the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation council meeting. In a statement made yesterday, the president, Mr C. V. Smith, said that in a memorandum to the War Cabinet last July, the federation pointed out that abuses were taking place, and had asked that steps should be taken, through the British Medical Association or otherwise, to stop the practice. The facts before the council, he said, indicated that the practice had not entirely ceased, and that certificates were being issued which were not only worthless, but were a serious reflection on some members of a profession that had always maintained a high standard of ethics. It appeared, he said, that in each of the four main centres, and in some other places, there was a small group of doctors who were prepared to sign their names to anything, while there were others who were issuing certificates regarding which they could not stand crosss-examination. It was decided, therefore, to urge the armed service appeal boards and industrial manpower boards to subpoena those doctors if the necessity arose, so that they could be cross-examined in connection with their statements. The federation understood that in one centre, when it was known that this procedure wait going to be adopted, there was a material falling off in the number of worthless certificates.