Visiting doctor says farewell

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 8, Issue 382, 16 April 1991, Page 5

Visiting doctor says farewell

Waimarino folk farewelled Dr Barbara Stone recently, including Ohakune Primary School staff and pupils. Dr Stone has been responsible for pre-school children right through to the aged, mainly all those people who can't speak for themselves for one reason or another. "I have been responsible for looking at their health needs, covering

such things as how they are housed to checking their general state of health," said Dr Stone. She said her job has entailed carrying out some statutory roles such as checking the requirements for licenses for pre-schools and kohanga reo. Dr Stone 's personal interest in her job has been children 's health and in particular their ears.

"We say that people in prison have more than the average number of bad ears," said Dr Stone. "If children can't hear they don't learn and they get fed up with going to school and then you get a chain reaction through to prison." "We're getting much better at picking up those sort of problems." "It's absolutely joyous how things in this area are improving,"

said Dr Stone. She said the changes will lead to a marked improvement in behaviour of young people as they go through the system. 90 per cent of ear problems are able to be treated and teachers have become very good at picking the signs of problems. Dr Stone has been visiting the Waimarino for 15 years since a six year break to start k family. She said she will still be busy after retiring, with her many voluntary work areas including marriage guidance, crippled children, IHC, and the Wanganui Community Health Watch Committee. "Unless you work in with these things you have no say in the changes that can take place," said Dr Stone. Two doctors working part-time will take on Dr Stone's responsibilities.