HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17327, 26 November 1919, Page 9

HEALTH IN SCHOOLS.

FREE MEDICAL TREATMENT. ADVOCACY IN AUCKLAND. EDUCATION BOARD'S SUPPORT! The need for some system of free medical treatment to supplement the medial infection of children in the btaU schools formed the subject of discus.*! .-;, i at a conference yesterday between mem ' uers of the Education Board and lectors j E. Sands and H. B. Davies, medical in- ; spectors, Sister Early, school nurse, and . -Ur. t,. K. MuJ & aT1 > senior inspector. j The chairman of the board, Mr. E. C. ■ Banks, explained that the coherence was ; the result, of a recent suggestion tnat th? | experiment of stationing a nurse at one of the large city schools for a year would give valuable results as a basis for the luture extension of medical aid nursiua,rt lor scnool children. *rif 1 "'. M l ,- an said medical inspection of school children must be earned out if toe children were to be made strong and vigorous. The medical inspectors" and school nurses pointed out defects, and advised treatment, but were the children getting the treatment thus prescribed or ■the benefit 01 expert advice The idea of attaching a nurse to one large school for ] a given period "was a good one, but several points would have to be considered before full benefit could be realised, I Dr. Danes also supported the suggesttion, but suited that the present staff of : nurses would not permit of such an ap- . pointment. After the medical . iaspec'ir i * j Vlwted a school > the nur.-e visited the parents of children i- | pertain if the doctor's advise had been .foUowed But it w £s often very difficult !?k g , .v P a . rents to take any notice of what the medical inspector had said, the main reason given being that they could not afford to follow the treatment The only logical coupe appeared to be to proI vide free dental and medical attention in | such cases The State should provide specialists for eye, throat, and dental troubles. Dr. E. Sands explained that the work of the medical staff was purely that of 1 inspection. j Nurse Early stated that the attachrient of a nurse to any particular s:hool and a system of regular visit"g would not be of much use unless the nurse were authorised to provide the nourishing food which the sick children xequired, and which the parents in very Many cases were quite unable to procure Mr. H. S. W. King suggested that the government might .appoint certain medical men as school doctors, to whom parents could send their children when advised to co so by the medical inspector, also a school dentist and dispenser, to .whom the parents could apply on an order from the inspector. * The Hon. G. J. Garland, and Mr. A. Burns and Mr. J. Boddie. also spoke \ support of the suggestion' for free treatment. Dr. J. S. Reekie said some compulsory method would have to be adopted, under which indifferent parents would be compelled to take advantage of State treatment. At present the Department had no power to do anything more than point out physical defects; it had no power to remedy them. The secretary to the board was directed »to forward a report of the conference to the Department.