DENTAL SERVICE

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3251, 5 November 1932, Page 5

DENTAL SERVICE

TE AWAMUTU CLINIC.

The imposing of a levy on parents of children who have received treatment at the local dental clinic seems to have been very much misunderstood by some of the parents. A short history of the dental clinic in Te Awamutu may possibly throw some light on the need for this levy on individuals.

The clinic commenced operations in 1926, when, on its own responsibility, Te Awamutu School Committee organised a "Paddy's market" which realised £32 15s 3d, and also obtained the use of a room upstairs in the Town Hall, free of charge, which room is still in use, pending the erection of a new building, which has been postponed for the present on account of the financial depression. After the local School Committee had established the clinic, and Nurse Loach had arrived and taken up her duties, the first meeting of delegates was held on Bth June, 1926, and later the executive levied a charge of 6d per head on the total roll number of each school. The only expenses the first year were £3B 12s 8d in furnishings, £ls 9s 9d to the Power Board, and £l3 10s Id in cleaning, etc. The following year the levy was raised to 9d per head on the total roll, this remained unchanged until 1930 r r when the levy was altered to Is per head on the total roll up to and inI eluding standard four. 1 Early iri 1931 the Government made its first annual charge of £3O per year for each nurse, and this compelled the annual meeting of 7th July to increase the charge to 3s per head, and this was levied on the total number of children under treatment according to the dental nurse's annual rteport. This year the charge has been lowered to 2s 6d per head, provided it is paid on or before 30th November. Originally, as the levy needed was so small, the various committees raised the amount by social functions, but this year it was felt that the burden was becoming too heavy, and the committees generally have decided that those receiving benefits should pay; hence the levy. When one realises that for 2s 6d the children's teeth are looked after for a year it cannot be called an excessive fee. Another point is that the Dental Committee's year ends on 30th June, and the levy is struck on the previous year's treatment. This is the only way the executive can be sure of its expenses. It may be thought necessary to alter the financial year to coincide with the school year, but this is a matter for the future. Further, when the charge by the Government towards the expenses of the dental nurse was made, the dental committees were given authority to charge up to 5s per head. So far 'the local committee has not done this, but it is felt that parents who have the interests of their children at heart should not quibble at the fact of having to'i>ay 2s 6d or V3s per year for-dental-treatment for their children. Again, children under school age who intend"*joining laterare also accepted ' for treatment on payment of the same levy—this year 25.6 d per head.