NURSE WELCOMED

Taranaki Daily News, 7 November 1935, Page 3

NURSE WELCOMED

DENTAL CLINIC AT WAITARA. 'EXCELLENT WORK REPORTED. The bi-annual meeting of the Waitara dental clinic committee was held this week, Mr. W. B. Glasgow presiding. Mr. Glasgow welcomed Nurse Elliot, who was appointed in Nurse Fergusson’s place, when the latter left to be married. Appreciation of Nurse. Fergusson’s services was recorded and it was decided to write her offering her the committee’s best wishes. It was remarked that the department had seen to it there was no interruption in the work and that the committee could be assured that the department had made a good choice by sending Miss Elliot. The superintendent had visited Waitara and after inspecting the clinic said he was satisfied the nurse was doing excellent work professionally and also on the administrative side. The statement of accounts showed that the income for the year was £66 18s Id, and the expenditure £55 7s 9d, of which £26 9s 6d went to the Department of Health, £lO 15s for cleaning and £lO 0s lid for electric current, repairs, etc. The credit balance at the bank on September 30 was £6 10s 4d. The chairman pointed out that the levy on the committees was evidently just about right, as there was only a small balance. The Post and Telegraph Department advised that the telephone at the clinic would as from September 1 be charged at the business instead of the residential rate* an increase of 30s per year. The chairman said he had forwarded a letter of protest, pointing out that the clinic was the very antithesis of a business. It was a question whether they should pay the extra amount. The protest, however, was of no avail, the department saying it was impossible to make a concession in the matter. z The meeting considered the telephone was necessary, but it was thought desirable to go a little further and appeal to the Minister of Health in the hope that he would not allow the anomaly of a clinic being looked upon as a business to continue. In the nurse’s summary of work done during the moqth it was shown that schools attached to the Awakino subdistrict had received the benefit of the clinic’s services and altogether, including Waitara and surrounding schools, there had been 488 operations. Mr. Johns asked whether any arrangement had been made to obtain treatment for the Ahititi children, as it seemed possible that with a children’s bus running from Te Kawau to Mokau there should be the means of fitting in with the dental nurse’s visits. It was decided to ascertain the position.