CHILDREN’S HEALTH

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30177, 8 July 1963, Page 15

CHILDREN’S HEALTH

Department’s New Move

The Health Department intended to “retire completely from supervision of the preschool child, and was dropping routine medical inspections of primary schoolchildren, the Director-General of Health (Dr. H. B. Turbott) told the Canterbury division of the British Medical Associaiton on Thursday evening. “Planning in the child health field leaves the care of the baby and the prechool child in the hands of the general practitioner and the Plunket Society,” Dr. Turbott said. “Until such time as this pre-school care is organised, medical officers of the Health Department will continue to provide the medical advice at pre-school Plunket clinics. In predominantly Maori areas, baby care and preschool supervision will continue through public health nurses as long as the Maori people desire this. “In the primary school ages routine medical inspections are being dropped. Instead, a medical officer and public health nurse will consult with the head teacher and class teachers, whose task it will be to bring up for review any child whose mental, emotional or physical progress is thought to be below par. “Audlometrists are being provided for all districts. It is intended to transfer to these officers the vision-test-ing hitherto done by nurses. ’’ln the secondary schoql ages it is intended to offer a medical counselling service to such schools as are willing to accept the offer.”