DENTAL CLINIC DESIRED

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1930, Page 11

DENTAL CLINIC DESIRED

CLAIMS OF URENUI DISTRICT APPEAL MADE TO DEPARTMENT. MINISTER OF HEALTH REPLIES. Representations made by. the people of the Urenui district through the school committee, the Taranaki Education board and the member for the district (Mr. \V. J. Polson, M.P.j, with the object of having some arrangement made for the’ care of the teeth of the school children in the north coastal district have so far proved unavailing, but the Minister, of Health lias noted the claims made by Urenui and has promised to assist the district in this matter, at the earliest "possible opportunity.

1 /‘I Ijave had placed before me some correspondence between the Taranaki Education Board and yourself in relation‘to the request of the'Urenui school committee that the children in this country district might have some of the advantages possessed' by the children in town districts in regard to dental treatment,” said Mr. Polson in a recent letter to the Director of Dental Hygiene. ‘‘The committee wished in the first place for periodical visits from a dental officer to the district, or in the alternative to know how tho children could be attended to if they were brought to New Plymouth. Your reply went so far as to deny these country children equality of treatment, or equal opportunity for treatment with t-he children in the New Plymouth schools, and amounted to a plain refusal on the ground of ‘as many children as the nurses can deal with systematically.’ “The committee’s next inquiry was as to the possibility of a clinic in UrOnui if the schools in the district raised the necessary funds for such a purpose. Your curt reply was that there were no dental nurses available for the establishment of any further clinics this year. I wish to point out to you the manifest unfairness of your attitude. These clinics have been established for the use of both country and town children by the State and there should be no discrimination, but if there is discrimination it .should he in favour of those- who have not the opportunity of visiting a dentist whenever the need arises, and it certainly should be in favour of those who are prepared to contribute towards the cost of such a service. The service has been in existence for a considerable period of years now, and it is time it was administered with more sympathy towards the children who are the worst off and whose parents are faced with the most expense in connection with dental • treatment. I would be glad if you will bring this matter under the notice of the Minister and also if you will ’ inform me what prospect there is of some improvement in these conditions in the near future.” REPLY FROM THE DIRECTOR. In reply the Director of Dental Hygiene (Air. J. Saunders) stated that the facts of the case as quoted by Air. Polson from the correspondence were, namely: —(1) That the dental nurses at the New Plymouth clinic are unable to include any more schools, as they already had under treatment as many children as they could deal with systematically. (2) That as all the dental nurses available this year had been allocated to various parts of the Dominion it was not possible to establish a clinic a-t Urenui in the meantime.

It must bo explained, continued Mr. Saunders, tliat in the work of t'he school dental service, treatment was carried out by sehooli*, that is to say, tlie school was regarded as 'the unit, and only children who attended schools that were definitely associated with a clinic . were eligible for treatment. That of course immediately limited the number ;of children that eould be treated at any one clinic, bait it enabled the treatment to be organised in such a manner that the children of these schools, when once they were placed on the register of a clinic, received regular re-exam-ination ’’find treatment from the time they entered the primer classes until they passed out of the fourth standard. That was the system on which the service was being- developed. As more dental nurses became available each year, so the service was being extended by the opening up of new districts all over the Dominion. He mentioned that, at the present time, there were 163 treatment-centres throughout he Dominion, add the majority of those were in the smaller towns and in country districts. More than 60,000 children were now receiving regular and systematic treatment in the school dental clinics, and that number was being steadily increased every year. Until such time as the school dental service was fully developed, there must be many districts in the same position as Urenui, but dental treatment was being provided for them as quickly as the resources available would permit. In the meantime the application from Urenui had been noted, and would be considered, along, with the others that were before t'he department, when fur-, tlier service was available. • . ,

He was forwarding Mr. Polson’s letter to the Hon. the Minister of Health as requested.

LETTER FROM THE MINISTER.

In a separate re.ply, the Minister of Health wrote to Mr. Polson as follows: “This is a matter to which I have given close attention, and I am satisfied that, under the existing policy, the dental health of the children of the Dominion is being benefited to a greater extent than would be possible under any other system that has been suggested. Moreover, I can assure you that the service is being administered not only efficiently but sympathetically. Tn fact, I have this year particularly concentrated upon the extension of the system to country children. I note from the Director’s letter that the application of the Urenui committee has been recorded by. the. department, and I shall be pleased to give it every consideration when the applications for tho establishment of new clinics are next placed before me.’*

In answer io this communication Mr. Polson sent a reply as follows: —“I have to thank yen for your prompt reply to my letter in connection with the dental treatment of Urenui school children and for t'he information that the application has boon noted and will bp considered when further service- is available. I would point out,' however,’ .that atj the present rate. of...progTqAs 1(

all these children ..will .hqye left schools before the service gets round in tho' ■country districts. Considering that city children are now and have been for some 1 time getting full advantage of the ser- : vice-it seems to me that you have notj justified the neglect of country, child-' • ren. If any additional nurses arc be-t ung trained, the country, not the cities,; should have the advantage of them. It' seems to me also that the present sun-’ ply of nurses might have been appor-' tiqned equally between the country and the cities. I hope this matter will not be long delayed.”