DENTAL CLINIC.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5205, 18 November 1927, Page 4

DENTAL CLINIC.

BUILDING WANTED AT THAMES.

DEPUTATION TO HOSPITAL BOARD

At Monday’s meeting of the Thames Hospital and Charitable Aid Board a deputation, comprising Messrs. J. H. Hodge (chairman of the Thames District School Committee), J. R. Muir (member of committee), and A. J.

Shepherd (headmaster of Central school), waited upon the board, asking it to reconsider its previous decision with reference to granting the use of a room on the board’s property adjoining the office, for use as a dental clinic.

In support of the request, Mr Hodge said that the deputation represented tihe schools from Wharepoa to Tapu, including the Thames primary schools. The school committees were very short of funds, and although an effort had been made by the central committea, it had not been p 1 ssible to finance the erection and equipment of a clinic. An exhaustive search had been made to secure a suitable building at Thames that could be made suitable for a clinic, but without success.

Figures supplied by Mr Shepherd showed that the total roll number of children was over 1400, including Turua and Orongp.

The chairman (Mr W. E. Hale) said there was little likelihood of the children of those schools attending a Thames clinic, as there was a clinic at Ngatea which was more convenient.

Continuing, Mr Shepherd pointed out the urgent need for provision being made for the care of children’s teeth, because decayed teeth caused other diseases. He had been headmaster at the Warkworth school, where the first school dental clinic was established. He had also had experience of the clinic at Masterton, and could vouch for th®. tremendous good and far-reaching benefits derived from the treatment. The value of the service was also appreciated and acclaimed by parents. The building asked for from the board was centrally situated, and could be made quite suitable. If the bpa.rd could see its way to reconsider its decision and allow' the bujlding to be used a great benefit would be conferred upon the community. The remarks of the tnvo previous speakers were endorsed by Mr Muir, who detailed the efforts [made by the committee to secure suitable premises. At the present time it seemed impossible to raise a sufficient sum to build a clinic. There was a .crying need for treatment for school' children,'and, realising this, the committee was desirous of doing everything it could to make such treatment available.

In reply to the chairman Mr Hodge said that if the hoard granted the building the committee would want to use it indefinitely, because; it saw no immediate prospect of building a clinic. ■

The chairman pointed l out that a large expense would bet involved in renovating the board’s building to make it suitable, and sewerage would also have to be installed.. In his opinion it would be far better for tlie committee to make a. greater effort and erect its own clinic on one of the school grounds, where. the childre n would be under control and where small children receiving treatment would be cared for by their teacher or an elder pupil. He had had some experience of a dental clinic, and realised the; value of the movement, which had his full sympathy. However, the reply given the committee with regard to-the room being required by the board was the considered 'opinion of the members, and he saw no reason w’hy that opinion should .be altered, although the board was nn sympathy with the committee’s difficulties.

It was pointed out by MSr C. W. Kennedy that in the event of the board granting the use of the b wilding there would be a number of s ptiall children playing about near the maternity annexe, and it was natur.-al to suppose that there would be a c .-ertain amount of noise, which would be disturbing to the patients, as y reJ.l as to the board’s secretary. If the committee required tihe building 'as ;.a temporary measure only he would be in favour of assisting them. The,, p revision of dental clinics was a splendit d measure, and well worthy of th® greatest support.

Mr A. R. RobinsOir, who is also chairman of the: Hikut;aia School ■ Committee, detailed tXie arr range merits that obtained at ti’ae P'aeroat clinic, which he stated were working: very satisfactorily. It was pointed put by Mr Robinson that; the Paeroa school committee had di splayed considerable initiative, and 1' its enterprise had erected its owr £ clinic in the schoolgrounds. A b umbe,r .of pupils from outside sdhoo’ig had already received treatment an d the value of the clinic was, being heard on all sides. He could hardly believe that if the Thames ■c'ommitte.e took its citizens into its; 'confidence and stressed the urgent need for a clinic at Thames that v cbe people would not respond generous ly to so worthy an appeal. “Paeirsa has done it, and if/Thames cann«rtt, then it m.ust be slipping bac,k r ” bte concluded. It was admitted by Mr Kennedy t\ia.t the committee should be tke better j udges of the position, but 'he did) not think that every avenue; flf assistant ee had been exhausted. Ht? felt sun i that if an appeal was made to l the people in tho right way the money would be fort! icoming. If Pae,roa could get its a wn clinic, surely Thames, ‘ with its large population, should hawe no real difficulty. It appeared. to him to 1 be a waste of money to recondition arc ol< 1 building when a new clinic, could: W built for almost the same pxpendiiftw -e.

It was stated By- J Ir Hodge that the Thames people had! t alsed nearly £llOO for' improvements; ; to the Central schooolgrounds, aa3< I quite recently £l7o’ had been raiset 1 and expended at the Thames South si ihool. There was a limit to giving,, an id the public had 'responded to many c; ills. If the building could be loaned las a temporary measure it would greatly help the committee, and Be' the means of assuring the of a dental nurse.

The chairman advised that the board would reconsider the application, and the result of its deliberations would ba made known to the committee as early as possible. As a practical pfoof that he was in sympathy with the committee’s difficulties. he offered to donate tha sum of £1 towards its clinic funds. A similar offer was also made by Mr W. J. Hall.

After thanking the donors for their offers and the members for receiving them the deputation withdrew. After the deputation had retired the matter was discussed, and it was moved to defer the matter for one month.

As an amendment Mr Kennedy moved that the building be granted for use as a dental clinic for 12 months.

Seconded by Mr Lange. The; chairman said he was opposed to the amendment, and thought that the matter might very well be deferred until there was a full meeting of the board. Mr C. W. Parfitt said that the boara had to consider whether the building would be required during the next 12 months. The chairman pointed out that the building might be required for a» office for the health inspector at any time. Mr P. E. Brenan said that the room was required for the administration of the. hospital. He .was opposed to granting the use of the building. ■On the amendment being put it was declared carried. A further amendment was then moved by Mr Brenan tn at the board decline to grant the use of the room and adhere to its former decision. The amendment was lost, and the resolution to defer the matter for one month was carried.