PLAINS DENTAL SERVICE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5016, 20 August 1926, Page 2

PLAINS DENTAL SERVICE.

° & DECENTRALISATION ADVOCATED.

DEADLOCK CONTINUES. The poilcy of the Dental Hygiene branch of the Department of Public Health of centralising the Jrfee dental service for the children of the Hauraki Plains under eight years of age at the clinic provided at Ngatea was strenuously opposed a meeting of chairmen of the school committees of Hauraki Plains schools, held at Ngatea on Saturday afternoon last.

The meeting had been called to make arrangements, tor a continual supply of patients from the outlying districts, but as the school committees from those districts contended that the difficulties were insurmountable fto progress was made, and it wa& decided to. make representations to have the dental officer visiting the out-lying centres.

At the meeting there were present: Messrs C. W. Harris (Wtakaruru), J. F. Mayn (Patetonga), W. Mclndoe (Kahere), J. W. Chapman (Turua), J. Porter (Pipiroa), G. T. Davidson and C. & Fos.tcr (Ngatea), and W. Hale (Kouparahi). Kerepeehi was not represented. Mr G. T. Davidson was* appointed chairman.

In opening the meeting Mr Davidson traversed the negotiations leading up to the establishment of .the clinic and the misunderstandings that had arisen on account of the lack of.oxpanation to any of the school committees of the policy df. the department. The Ngatea people had been induced to provide the clinic at a cost of about £7O, and this should have been borne by the whole of the Plains. The clinic was not; a Ngatea affair, and the impression that it wa£, was, due to the department not taking all the committees into its confidence. It was for the. meeting to endeavour to evolve a s.cheme whereby the clinic could be used to its full capacity. Mr C. W. Harris said that a wrong had been done the Waitakaruru school. Its committee ha.d been Informed that the dentist would visit Waitakaruru, and arrangements bad been made accordingly. The day before he was supposed tel arrive intimation was received that the children would ha,ve to attend at Ngatea. This, was by direction of the department. The committee had. objected to this procedure, as it had nd funds or means of transportation, and no one to care for the young children on the way to and from treatment. 'As a matter of principle; it W not intended to send the children to Ngatea. Mr J. W. Chapman said .that he. had communicated with the local, member of Parliament and had been informed that the matter wa£ one for mutual arrangement. The Turua committee was quite prepared to pay all the expenses, of the dentist should he visit Turua.

Mr F. J. Mayn .voiced .the, opinion that the Ngate ( a committee had been “hedging.” A clinic was. npt established without a lot of fighting, and it had been the Patetonga committee that had done that fighting. Since July, 1923, the Pate tonga committee had been communicating with Cabinet Ministers, departmental-heads, members of Parliament, etc. A deputation to Wellington had been informed that a travelling clinic would be sent to the Plains.. The idea of centralisation was ridiculous. Even .as, late as February 9, 1925, the Minister of Health had advised that a dental officer would be sent to Ngatea, “which would be the. base from which he would work the district.” In view of the previous discussion this could not mean anything bflt that the dental officer should visit the outlying schools. It was- apparent that the department had since changed its policy and' decided on centralisation, and much correspondence had taken place concerning this. In the later letters it was stated that “the children would be brought to Ngatea,” and “where this was not possible the dentist would establish sub-bases where children could conveniently be. reached.” Mr Mayn contended that by this the department implied, that it would bear the cost of transportation to Ngatea or wherever sub-bases wtere established. As the department nbw said it would not do this, there was nothing for the meeting to do but agitate for an alteration of the policy of centralisation and* the establishment of travelling clinics. The chairman said that the department had threatened, to remove the dental officer unless the policy was endorsed, and it was necessary tdcome to a decision quickly. Mr Chapman urged making representations direct to the Minister of Health, who was in favour of dental treatment for the back-blocks children.

Mr C. S. Fost’ said .that when Mr Elliott, the inspecting officer of the Department, was in Ngatea he had stated definitely that Turua, Kerepeehi, Waitakaruru, Pipiroa, Kopuarahi, and Orongo children mus/t go to Ngatea, and that unless this was done the dentist would probably be transferred to another clinic. He had stated that in all probability a subbase woud be established at Patetonga or Kaihere.

Mr Harris said that a pistol prer sented at the' hea’ds .the Waitakaruru committee, woul'd not move it. If centralisation at Nga.tea was in ; sjsted upon Waitakaruru could not oftain the benefits- otf the service.

Mr Mayn urged adopting the attitude that a travelling clinic had been definitely promised rather than endeavouring to meet the later requirements of the department in regard to centralisation. He quoted correspondence .implying that even when the department had decided oil centralisation it had acknowledged the. desirability of the establishment of suitable sub-bases. He suggested that the chairmen of the school committee present bring before their committees. the advisability Of communicating with the Minister of Health and the local members of Parliament, pointing out that a promise had been made to send a travelling clinic through the district. Mr W- E. Hale pointed out that the onus df getting the Kopuarahi children to the central clinic had been

wt on the parents with satisfactory results. There was no doubt that the iepartmerft would not long stand for, i dent'll officer waiting idly fw tients to come along. He agreed it the proposition, but was of opinion hat after the first treatment had been given the children should go to the rejitral clinic. It was the first treatment, when the extractions, were made, when it was s.o necessary that the children should be near their homes a,nd parents. The ting officer of the department should be asked to again visit the Plains to meet a meeting representing the whole of the Plains Mr Mayn said that such a meeting would be the only future one he would attend. Mr Davidson urged that a recommendation should be sent from the meeting rather than from the various school committees. Mr Foster urged making the representations as suggested, and also requesting that Mr Elliott again visit Ngatea; to meet the representatives, of the district committees. It wag. agreed that Mr J. F. Mayn write to the Minister of Health complaining of the arrangements in connection with the clinic which it was intended to serve, and requesting that the executive officer visit Ngatea.