DENTAL CLINIC DISPUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 122, 26 May 1930, Page 10

DENTAL CLINIC DISPUTE.

POSITION AT MATAMATA. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. Commenting oh the recent. controversy in completion with the Matamata School Dental Clinic, the Minister of Health," Hon. A. J. StallwOrthy, eaid yesterday, that some .'of the statements that had appeared in the Press had no foundation in fact. It was quite contrary to fact, for instance, to say that the dental inspector had instructed the clinic nurse to ti'eat children from a private school. No such instruction had been given. As a matter of fact, explained the Minister, it was quite inconsistent with the policy of developing the system that any such instruction should be given. The inclusion of any school in a clinic group was a matter for agreement amongst the local school committees in collaboration with the Health Department. The Minister of Health allocated the nurses available. -Each school included in a clinic group contributed a pro rata amount towards capital" and incidental working costs of the clinic, such as lighting, laundry and cleaning. The agreement of existing clinic committees was a condition precedent to the inclusion of additional schools in any existing group. Geographical and economic factors had both to be considered in the development of the scheme and the beat business practices followed to ensure the widest possible services from the limited number of nurses available.