Praise For Amp’S

Products of Suva Medical School

WARM praise of Assistant Medical Practitioners, the product of the Central Medical School, Suva, Fiji, was expressed by Dr. M. Rose, who has just finished his term as Chief Medical Officer of the Gilbert and Ellice Colony, and passed through Sydney recently en route to Britain.

Dr. Rose has had extensive medical experience in the Central Pacific —he has been a medical officer in the service of New Zealand (Niue and Rarotonga), the New Zealand Army (major in the Medi cal Corps in New Caledonia for 16 months) and—during the last five years— in the service of the WPHC, in the Gil bert and Ellice Group.

“I think those Native Medical Practi tioners —now called Assistant Medical Practitioners —are marvellous,” said Dr.

Rose, to the PIM. “They impress every one. American Navy and Air medical officers who were stationed with me at Tarawa were enthusiastic concerning the work done by our AMP’s. Personally, I think that some of them, judged on the work they do, would make some of our European house physicians and surgeons ‘sit up and take notice.’

“Our senior AMP in the G and E Colony, Tutu Tekanene, is famous for his ability, both as a surgeon and physician.

When the Japs over-ran the Group, and Dr. Steenson, the CMO, was evacuated, Tutu Tekanene carried on, alone, the work of the Medical Department, and without help from the Japanese. When I arrived in the Colony in July, 1944, after the Japs had been driven out, he had somehow managed to assemble and organise a staff of helpers, and was ac tually administering the health service of the Colony. All who know him have a high respect and regard for him—he is a credit to his race and to his pro fession.

“One of our most brilliant AMP’s un fortunately died recently. He was Tea noki Bukitaua, and he had had post graduate training in hygiene, sanitation, and port health work —a most useful officer. This young Gilbertese was on tour in the Northern Gilberts when he suffered a curious accident. Something he was eating stuck in his throat, and he injured himself when trying to put it right. He became very ill, and was rushed to Ocean Island for an urgent operation, but it was too late, and he died from toxaemia —a serious loss to the medical service.

“Another of our best men is an Ellice Islander, Meauke Kuresa, whom we have sent to Fiji for post-graduate training in dentristry. He has already done excel lent service in the group, as a dentist, on both Europeans and natives. Another Ellice Islands AMP recently returned from Suva with an excellent report, after special training at Tamavua in tubercu losis work.

“The importance of training these young Polynesians and Micronesians in this way becomes apparent when we wit ness the difficulty the authorities are having in finding European medical offi cers for the work. Salaries and allow ances are now all out of proportion to the rewards in other professions and services.

“So far, only New Zealand has faced up to the new situation. New Zealand is offering, for medical officers for Islands work, £1,375 per annum salary, plus £l6O local allowance, plus £5O for each child, plus a bonus of £3OO after one year’s work, or £BOO after two years’ work, or £1,500 after three years’ work.”