§ 5. Captain C. S. Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any arrangements are being made by His Majesty's Government to assist in the provision of adequate medical services in Ethiopia.
§ Mr. EdenYes, Sir. At the request of the Emperor of Ethiopia a senior member of the Colonial Medical Service was seconded on 1st February, 1942, for service under the Emperor, who appointed him Director-General of the Ethiopian Medical Services. At the request of the Ethiopian Government the names of four senior non-British medical practitioners have been proposed to them for medical appointments. Every effort has been made and will be made, within the limits imposed by the man-power situation in this country, to meet the Ethiopian Government's further requirements. In addition, the British Red Cross maintains a hospital in Addis Ababa, and the Friends Ambulance Unit has recently despatched an important unit of doctors and medical assistants to undertake medical work in the capital and in the Provinces; they have also supplied considerable quantities of urgently needed drugs.
§ Captain TaylorIs it not true to say that we are doing very much more in Ethiopia in this respect than the Italians did?
§ Mr. EdenI think the fundamental distinction is that the Ethiopians can now live the life they want to lead, whereas they could not before.