SERIOUS OBJECTIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 44, 22 February 1939, Page 8

SERIOUS OBJECTIONS

NATIONAL HEALTH SCHEME INVESTIGATIONS OF VISITNG SURGEON I Per Press Association.j CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 21. An American surgeon, Dr. Edward H. Ochsner, of Chicago, who, after investigating national health schemes in Europe, particularly in Germany, tvrote a book entitled “Social Insurance and Health Security," said on his arrival in Christchurch to-day. "I am very much against such national health schemes and have stated my objections in my book. 1 spent two years in Europe, principally in Germany, investigating health schemes and I based my conclusions on actual statistics. First of all the most serious objection is the increase in malingering. A national health scheme increases the days of illness. I have actual proof of this from Germany based on figures. A national health scheme increases the cost of medical care, but it does not decrease mortality or the morbidity (the number of days of sickness). It also interferes with confidential personal relations between the physician and his patient. The effect of such schemas is that people run to physicians with trivial complaints to such an extent that the physician is so worn out with trivialities that he could not give the serious attention to really sick people that he ought to give. “These ar? my main reasons for my objection to the schemes —they do not decrease mortality or morbidity and they increase the cost.’ Dr. Ochsner was asked if his conclusions had been disputed. He said.

“No; they are based on actual sta tistics.”

He was also asked if he had any comments to make on medical practice or hospital facilities in New Zealand.

He said: "No; I have been in New Zealand only four days but I attended the medical conference to-day and found it very interesting and instructive."