OPOTIKI NEWS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 281, 22 July 1932, Page 7

OPOTIKI NEWS

Our District Representative)

^CPANSION OF CLINIC NEED FOR SECOND NURSE IN OPOTIKI DENTAL DISTRpUT. COMMITTEE AGREES TO ACT.

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So great has the expansion of the work of the Opotiki dental clinic become that the engagement of an extra nurse has been mooted for some time in order to cope with the ever-increas-ihg needs of the children of the district. A decision to appoint another nurse was made at quarterly meeting of the Opotiki dental clinic, which was held at the school on Tuesday evening. Present Messrs. W- Burrett (chairman), W. Payne, E. Baigent, C. Cave (secretary), Mesdames J. G. Murray, J. Mansell, J .W. Kemp, A. Stephenson, H. Burgess and L. FoX. Second Nurse Needed. A letter was received from Mr. F. G. Rice, asking what action the commitjjee proposed to take with regard _ to the appointment of a second dental nurse for»six months. He advised that a second nurse could be stipplied by the department for six months at the rate of £2 10s a month. The dental nurse wrote asking for

a rulng from the committee on the matter of eorrespondence school children, as to the order in which they were to be treated. They were eligible for treatment up to ten years of age. She advised that she had been approached re treatment of these. After considerable discussion it was decided that as the committee were not quite clear as to the position with regard to the numbers requiring treatment, etc., the matter should be left until further information had been obtained from the nurse. The Department of Health advised that children of five years of age wLo were not able to attend school owing to the raising of the school age were eligible for dental clinic treatment, subjeet to their meeting the financial requirements of the local committee. ? Mr. Payne said that Mr. S. Maxwell had advised him that the Woodlands school committee were now in favour of a second nurse being obtained and were prepared to find their quota of the necessary money. Mr. E. Baigent, representing the Paerata Ridge school, expressed the view that the main school should bear a part of the expense of a second nurse. After Mr. Payne and Mr. Burrett had explained the situation and given him a resume of the address given by Mr. Rice at the recent public meeting, Mr. Baigent said that he understood the position more clearly, and although he could not at the moment commit his committee, he would lay the matter before them. Mr. Payne pointed out that the central school committee were paying £5 a year for cleaning of the dental clinic rooms, £1 a month for electric light, and also for the nurse' s laundry. Mr. Burrett also pointed out that a second nurse was not considered necessary for dealing with the main school, but that the committee had suggested the obtaining of a second nurse purely and simply for the benefit of country schools. It was decided that the committee should write to the Department of Health and aslc that a second nurse be sent for a period of three months and that the committee be allowed to engage her for a further thres months if required. Mr. Baigent thought that the Paerata school committee would probably be in favour of providing their quota of the expense entailed. Seve.ral members of the committee expressed the view that it was a great pity that the ehairmen of the country school committees did not attend th'e meeting of the dental committee, as if they did it would assist very considerably in gaining co-operation The account for electricity amounting to £3 8s 2d for the month, gava rise to some discussion; the secretary advised that he ha.d approached the Power Board and had been told that owing to the large consumption of current they could be supplied at a slightly cheaper rate in future. The committee expressed the view that they w;ere satisfied that the nurse was doing all she could to keep the consumption of current down. The accounts amounting to £30 18s 8d were passe.d for payment (about £20 of this was for fittings, etc., and would not be recurring). It was decided to hold a children's ball in August to assist the funds of the clinic. When discussing the question of admitting the Convent school to the dental group, the dental clinic decided that the eXecutive committee should wait on the Convent school authorities and explain the position and wwking of the dental clinic fully. The committee was empowered' to allqw Convent school to join the group if they would contribute £7 a year for three years toward the clinic's capital account.