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STATE DENTAL SCHEME

TREATMENT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN

DR. PICKERILL REPLIES TO

MR; HUNTER

The statement made- this week by Mr. T A. Hunter,-cliiof dental officer, in reply to Dr. Pickeries criticism of tho Government's scheme for the dental treatment of -school children, was sub-, mittod'to Dr.- Pickorill.' who replied as follows:—

"The chief dental officer is pleased to assert that s I am tolling an untruth. This charge T havt> not tho slightest intention of replying to. "The next, statement that the executive of the N.E.D.A. has not declined to reopen the:discussion ; is quito contrary to fact. Tho Wnnganui branch of tho association was the first branch, to tako up the cudgels in favour of justice to the school children, and was the first branch to realise' that the much-talkod-of executive meeting in Wellington did not represent the opinions of dentists throughout- New Zealand. This branch received a definite refusal to reopen the question for discussion from the'eveeutive of the N.Z.D.A., as is proved by the minutes of the executive. Further. a telegram has been sent out from Hie Auckland branch to .all other branches of the association in Now, Zealand asking for 00-operation in reopening the discussion at a general meoting of mombcrs. The Wangnnui have since independently sont in a similar request, f

."With regard to the letter of mlue •which the chief dental officer quotes, the dnto should be noted as being- about a week after the conference in Wellington. It was at that time that I fondly imagined that the scheme had the bnckirg of the N.Z.D.A.. and if these nnrjunlificd women were to he forced upon tho country it was in the hone of making ,R bad proposition not Quite so bad as it might be that. I made the sugeestions contained in thclotfer. It mav interest tho chief dontal officer nnd tho nubliii to know_ that T first took action in this matter in publicly opposing the present Boheme at least a week or 10 davs beforo I knew that the training of these women would .ho undertaken in Wellington. Everyone at nil interested in education must nnd does realise that, specialisation without fundamental knowledge is radically wrong, nnd applies essentially to the caso under discussion. Even if a proportion of trained nurse* apply for positions, it will be none the less unsound. A nurse lias been trained essentially in nurses' duties. Her fudnmontal. knowledge is certainly not of the type or character to do onlv delicate operation's on children's teeth. Moreover, to employ, trained nurses for this ■work would be unsound and economic waste.- There is at present a shortage of trained nurses for public and privato hospitals, and the Government proposes to make this shortage still more aculxi by tempting thnm to leave the service in which they are fulfilling a noble duty »nd to- become unqualified; unregistered, ill-trained dental practitioners;' In this connection the following-excerpt from a paper of a week or so ago bears upon the point: 'There is an acute. shortage of senior sisters and nurses at the Dnnedin Hospital, many having left to take up private work. The medical superintendent told the hospital board that the position was most serious—how serious he did not think the board realised.' I am not aware why it should be necessary to establish clinics in the four chief centres to : the exclusion of four other towns where no facilities for, tho children exist. A- State medical service..has been 'discussed at varions times, and it is- always provision of medical servico "for people in the 'country districts which is givon first place. • :''-.■';' <"".' ::':.' "The chief dental officer may. perhaps be pleased to know that:l have on every occasion praised.the dental service'as at present established.' That is'to 6ay, employment -for dental operations of quali-. fied-'.dentists], only,.- W.hat ; we.. want 4 is : that' the*' Government should.";continue jn the way it has begun and not depart from the paths of righteousness by employing partially trained -unqualified women. Why, even if you require your drains put in order, it is necessary toemploy a qualified and registered. plumber, but apparently the health, velfaro, and feelings of the children are lees important than drains. "I have not, neither has anyone else, so far as I know, suggested, that the Government employ only graduates of the .Dental School. All we insist upon is that registered dentists only-be.employ- :• ed in the State service. Otherwise, what an example to the country! On the one hand Parliament—i.e., tho people—have passed •: an jAct to prohibit unregistered practice; on the other hand-we have the Government seeking to employ unregistered practitioners in the- State service. At the same time it is obvious that the machinery already exists in the'. "University of Otago for providing the Government with as many qualified dentists as it wants. • , "I am afraid I shall have to reassert once more that 'in: the' provision of a State dental service, common fairness, common humanity, demand that the State dentist should be located in a central, position so that all children suffering from pain and advanced dental disease in that neighbourhood should h* able to visit him.' ... I fee) assured that the whole scheme is' the product or an untrained mind.' If the chief dental officer had been fortunate onounrh himself to have, received anv systematic dental training, if he possessed any degree, draloma, or certificate showing that ho had been trained at all, he would be. I feel sure, the w last man to deprive others of tho benefits : of a proper training."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19201217.2.5

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 71, 17 December 1920, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
919

STATE DENTAL SCHEME Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 71, 17 December 1920, Page 3

STATE DENTAL SCHEME Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 71, 17 December 1920, Page 3

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