CHARGE ON DENTAL CLINICS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 July 1931, Page 3

CHARGE ON DENTAL CLINICS

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER FOR HEALTH. 1 ' WELLINGTON, "Jufy 13. Exception to the additional charge of £3O ;i nurse, that the Dental Clinic Committees have been called upon to find to cover the cost of drugs' and material; was taken by a combined deputation, rep resenting three clinics in the Hutt Valley, which waited upon the Minister lor Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, this afternoon. The Minister stated that' the question was one of finance. He would, however, place the representations before' the Government. He asked the deputation to appreciate the difficulties 'ofin“'t‘tiral ‘districts who-, were not so fortunately placed, and had no clinics at all. Country peopk argued that- it was unfair to establish clinics in and adjacent to cities and towns, where professional dentists were available, while children in tlie country were without clinics or even the advantage of a professional practitioner. It would cost £200,000 to make the service available to all children of the age of those treated under the present scheme. That, no doubt, would be , a splendid investment, .but extension, of social services could "only be made in terms of taxation. Those fortunate enough to possess these services should bear a little more of the cost of material, so that the Department would be better able to extend the services to those who at present had none. The whole of last year’s extensions had to he borne out of savings and economies in hjs own Department, there being no appropriation at all for that purpose.