EXAMINE ALL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 2, 5 March 1947, Page 8

EXAMINE ALL

SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE AIM OF THE SCHEME (By the Department of Health) The school medical, service consists of a group of doctors and nurses of the Department of Health. If your district is not receiving regular visits from a school doctor, the reason is difficulty in recruiting medical officers, for there are many positions vacant just now. However, the nursing staff keeps the work going in districts without doctors. The aim is to give every child attending primary school 3 medical examinations, one as it enters school, one half way through, and one in the leaving year. The method employed is to visit city and large country schools annually, and examine children in primer one, standard two, and standard six. Work of District Nurse

In the other classes any child the teacher or district nurse wishes to be medically examined is given a special appointment to see the doctor. In the smaller country schools this scheme is modified to a medical visit once every third year, at which every child attending school is examined. Before the doctor arrives, the district nurse advises each parent whose child is to be seen of the impending visit, and invites the parent to be present at a given time. It is particularly desired that parents should attend. With doctor and parent together there is a two-way exchange of information that simplifies diagnosis, and there is opportunity for the doctor to explain to the parent exactly what is needed to overcome any lack or defect. For that’s the object of the medical inspection—to detect any departure from normal health and growth as well as any defect or disease. If the parent doesn’t attend the medical inspection, written advice is sent to the home of anything abnormal found. Health Camps Children who would benefit by a term in a health camp are chosen at school medical inspections. A preventive job is arranged, also. Parents are invited to have their primer children protected against diphtheria,' if not already done, or to have a reinforcing done if considered advisable.