EXTENSION OF SYSTEM

Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1929, Page 6

EXTENSION OF SYSTEM

MORE DENTAL CLINICS. WELLINGTON, October 30. Following liis policy of extending the school dental clinics system as rapidly as? possible, the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, has decided that on April 1 next year over thirty new clinics shall be opened in various parts of New Zealand. When making his announcement tonight Mr Stallwoythy said he was not yet in a position to state 1 the centres or districts to which the new nurses would be sent. Possibly be would be able to .announce the complete allocation in a few week’s time. it will be his aim to spread the clinics as fairly as possible, but of course preference will be given those districts where parents are prepared to help themselves. In cases where clinics are Iniilt on school property the Education Board provides a third off the total cost of the establishment. When clinics are established on other than school property parents have to provide the cost of the building and also working expenses. In most districts parents appreciating tiie valuable service rendered by the clinics, are only too happy to do this. Air Stallworthy explained to-night in an interview that about thirty-nine nurses would complete their course at the training school at Wellington and be available for service in April next year. OP the thirty-nine it was proposed to hold five in reserve and the remaining thirty-four would be posted either to new clinics or to existing clinics where the work was beyond the capacity of one nurse. In any case, even though a lew, clinics may become double clinics, this extension of the system will bo equivalent to thirtyfour new dental stations. For some time ft has been impossible to keep any dental nurses in reserve, with the result that the system was occasionally disorganised when nurses married or left the department’s service for some other reason. However, with five in reserve, the complete success of the svstem should he ensured. >

At the present time the department is spending £45,000 a year on school dental clinics, but the Af.inister regards it as money well spent, and every effort is being made to develop the system so that eventually the service may be availed of by all New Zealand children.