DENTAL CLINIC (Contd.)

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 52, 23 October 1931, Page 4

DENTAL CLINIC (Contd.)

April bf next 'year, she would have only eight working moitiths remaining in the year. ' ' *» Under normal Gonditions during this time 'Sh'fei'wMd not ' Be 'able tb treat more than'Wpprbxiftiatelyr 160 '.children so that it was""obVibus from this that children at present .in the fourth prim'er'nwottld' 'be hnable to reCClVe treatment. Gradual Development The -..development* of the clinic's work. mustnaturally. be gradual' and when i soliciting subscriptions toWards the erection of a clinic, the f act that the upper standards and in this. case the -fourth primer,? would .not be able to receive treatment during the first year; must .be emphasised in; order that there' should be no misapprehension.- ' t* . • " The nurse would eommence her work on the lower primers and once the" initial Work was done they .would cbntinUe to receive 'treatment progreSsivfely as they advanced- through the ' sehool. When the . work at the base school r'(ih this case, Rotorua primary"' school) was well in hand, the nurse would' then procfeed to bring in1 children oi?* schools from the surr.oundittg district. At the same time, it must be rertiembered that one nurse could. not treat more than 650 to 700 children . when she reached the full capacity,.. and' that for this reason there-- might possibly be some schools which could not receiye attention. The matter.; of . -determinipg »the rotation in- which the- schools were- to be included for treatment, would be in the hands of the local committee. Questions Replying to questions, Mr. Elliott stated' that he wished to make it plain that - the Department did not undertake. lf) .freat. purely Native schools. This' was the coricern of the' Native Department which had already made a'- commencement on the" work. He thought- that aS the total roll of the Rotorua a-nd district schools on his list' Was over 1400, it might be the mbst. economical e'ourse to build an "A^-fype clinic; '•Mr. Elliott also made it plain that only children undergoing treatment wdxtld he char'ged the levy, and only sclibols which were- receiving attentiort* could 'be expected to contribute to the cost-of the clinic. iThe- chairmari of the Mamaku School Go'mmittee, Mr.- D. M. . McMillan- pointed- out that on the'figures* given by.Mr.. Elliott it did not appear probable that Mamaku would be able to receive treatment, for some years to come. He was anxious that the project to .establish a clinic in Rotorua-should.be forwarded as rqpidly as\possible, but unless the Mamaku people -could be assured that they would be.likely to receive some benefit they qpuld hardly be asked to. contribute to the initial costs. Mr. Elliott assured Mr. McMillan that Mamaku would not necessarily be excluded as the rotation of treatment among the schools would be determined by the committee. In any case, until Mamaku- was receiving treatment it would not be expected to contribute. 'After a number of further questions had been answered, it was moved by Mr A. H. Foggin and seconded by >Mr. A. T. Butt that provisional stspS- be taken to establish a school dental clinic in Rotorua and that the obje'etive be the establishment of an "A'""type clinic. • 'Provisional steps for the f ormation of >a ".clinic committee were left in the handS '-of the Rotorua primary school committee which meets to-night.