DENTAL CLINICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 18

DENTAL CLINICS.

CHRISTCHURCH, May 3. “ Wc have over 200,000 children in the primary schools, so you can see what the problem is,” said the Minister of Health (Mr J. A. Young), in replying to a deputation from Linwood School asking for a dental clinic. “ It requires a staff of approximately 400 nurses, who have to be found and trained in New Zealand- We are reaching to-day 40,000 children, and when I came into office we were training 20 nurses a year. As the result of my representations to the Government the number of trainees has been increased to 35 per year. I am anxious to extend the school dental service as rapidly as possible, as with 80 nurses in the field we are able to reach only 40,000 children.” Mr Young added that there seemed to be an idea that poor people were-to be found only in industrial districts, but he could assure the deputation that in the rural districts of the North Island there were many people genuinely poor, and the department had to do something to meet their requirements. There were already 250 applications for clinics on the department’s list.