Lice treatment free

Press, 14 April 1980, Page 4

Lice treatment free

Parliamentary reporter Free treatment for head lice was available from the Department of Health or a doctor’s prescription -in cases of financial hardship, the Minister of Health (Mr Gair) has said. i He was replying to an assertion bv the member of ! Parliament for Avon (Mrs jMary Batchelor) that hardship prevented families from : receiving medical preparations for the treatment. Mrs i Batchelor’s view was report’ed in “The Press” on April |ll. i “Mrs Batchelor is also in error when she suggests that there is an epidemic of h,ead

dice at present. While it is I true that the instance of ijhead lice is quite widespread jjit is probably little different Hat the moment from what it; r has been for several years,” , Mr Gair said. rj “Head lice are quite comimon, not only in New Zea- - land, but also in the United! fiSiates. Australia, and thej siUnited Kingdom. It is not a; -notifiable disease so gauging; Ljust how prevalent it is is, - difficult. i s; “Reports from one health; -■district last year suggested! I'that of about 5500 school 'children examined, 12.5 per] r cent were found to be in-) t fested. Another health dis-] Ltrict reports that public’

health nurses are seeing about 300 cases each month,” Mr Gair said. The department was “very active” in trying to reduce head lice. Trials were being conducted in Dunedin to ascertain what was the best medication for the treatment iof head lice. I “But the success of action [taken by the Department of [Health staff in schools is to a large extent dependent on I the co-operation of parents,” (he said. ! Parents were best able to ‘eliminate head lice by checkling all members of their 'households and by treating ] them immediately lice were ’detected.