MEDICAL INSPECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15183, 30 June 1911, Page 2

MEDICAL INSPECTION.

SCHEME FOR THE SCHOOLS. SUGGESTIONS BY DE VALINTINE. (Pes United Punks. Association.) WELLINGTON, June 29. A scheme for the medical inspection of school children was proposed at tho Hospital Boards' Conference by the Inspec-tor-general of Hospitals (Dr Valintine) today. After promising that any schema would have to be considered in regard to (a) the actual requirements of tho country, (b) the legislative and other machinery immediately available to put such a scheme into operation, and (c) the local and physical conditions of the district, he said that from the reports to hand it would appear that the system of school inspection was undoubtedly necessary, but the system need not be so extensive as that required' in other lands. The machinery of the Public • Health, Education, and Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Acta was available to put a scheme into operation. The scheme he suggested would bo regarded as tentative, and it was not suggested that it had not some obvious drawbacks. The details of Dr Valintine's proposals were based on (1) the instruction of teachers attending tho training colleges in the four chief centres by means of lectures on anthropometry and diseases and defects incidental to school life (these lectures could be given by medical practitioners and specialists); (2) co-operation on the part of tho private medical practitioners; (31 the initiation or extension of out-patients' departments at our general hospitals; (4) the fact that speaking broadly the Government paid half the hospital expenditure of the Dominion by means of subsidies from the Consolidated Fund. In outlining the details of the scheme, he explained (1) that at regular intervals teachers would be required to take details of the height, weight, and chest measure : ments of scholars and forward the samo to the Department of Public Health; (21 teachers to carefully watch for signs of illness or defects of vision or hearing; (3) to report to the Education Board children suspected to be suffering from illness or defects, such reports to be confidential; (4) the board to report to the parent concerned, and if the parent is unable to pay for medical advice) make arrangements to send such child to the out-patients' department of the hospital; (5) medical attendants to fill in a report on the case and send same to the board, with instructions for further treatment. The scheme would be supplemented by the appointment of special medical inspectors to supervise the work of the teachers, to compile reports, and to inquire into the sanitary surroundings of schools. The reports of district health officers and inspectors under the Public Health Acts ,would also be available, 60 that the medical attendant would be better able to decide as to whether there was any factor in the surroundings of tho child contributing to its illness. Then therb could be periodical visits by the health officers to schools, and lastly, there could'be the appointment of'.school 'nurses; • Naturally these conld- be appointed later, but in the meantime two nurses now in the department and the district nurses could undertake the work. As to the cost, there were 180,000 children of school age, and of . this number 30 per cent, would require some form of medical examination'and treatment, but. at least 10 per cent, wonld be treated by private medical practitioners. He calculated that the cost of treatment would not exceed £13,500, and that, roughly speaking, half of this sum would be borne by the hospital boards and the other half by the Government in the way of subsidy. Against this wero to be placed the sums recovered from parents for tho treatment of children. Preliminary to establishing out-patients" departments the Education Board could set apart suitable rooms for the inspection of scholars. Then, as the success of the scheme would depend on the co-operation of the medical profession, it would be a great advantage if a uniform fee for'inspection of school children were agreed upon.