WORK OF DENTAL HOSPITAL.
PROPOSAL FOR EXTENSION. The heavy demand made on the Auckland Hospital Board for dental treatment by persons unable to pay for such attendance was mentioned by Mr. M. J. Coyle, chairman of the board, when voicing the views of a deputation to the Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister for Public Health, yesterday. Mr. Coyle stated that tho new dental hospital was doing excellent work, but it could not possibly cope with all the cases brought tinder notice by Dr. Elizabeth McDonald, senior medical inspector of schools. The books were full up to April 15, and no other child, unless requiring urgent attention, could be treated in the meantime. The deputation asked for assistance to enable the board to employ another dental operator. The Minister promised to go into tho matter. He said that his eyes had been opened by the very great number of unfit men examined by the Medical Boards, and he was satisfied that one of the primary causes of unfitness in men—and he was sure it would apply equally to the women of the country—was the want of proper nutrition paused by defective teeth. He was deeply interested in the experiment being tried by the Auckland Board at its dental hospital, and he Imped to see tho scheme taken up in other centres. To that end he proposed shortly to circularise the hospital boards of tho Dominion. His proposal was that the work should be done by the boards and subsidised by the Government. Treatment would be" given to families, the head of which was earning £4 a week or less, and the average cost to the Government would not exceed 4s. Under the scheme, if thr board set aside £1000 for this work, this, with a subsidy of £ for £, would provide for 10,000 treatments, which would include extractions, stoppings, and fillings, but dentures would not be provided. The Minister asked tho board to supply him with data concerning the work done at the dental hospital, ana this the chairman undertook to furnish.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16796, 12 March 1918, Page 6
Word Count
340WORK OF DENTAL HOSPITAL. New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16796, 12 March 1918, Page 6
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