DENTAL CLINICS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 October 1940, Page 8

DENTAL CLINICS

RESPONSIBILITIES & POWERS FUNCTIONS OUTLINED. MEETING OPERATION COSTS. In view of the public meeting to be held in the Lansdowne School on Monday night, October 15 the following extracts from the “N.Z. Dental Service” issued by the Department of Health, relating to the functions, ressponsibilities and powers of dental clinic committees will be of interest. In the administration of a school dental clinic the Department of Health is assisted locally by a dental clinic committee, Such a committee shall consist primarily of representatives of the committees of the schools served by the clinic, but representatives of other bodies or private individuals may be included. The object should be to build up. as strong and influential a committee as possible. The functions of such a committee

are generally to undertake the local administration and the maintenance of its school dental clinic, to assist in the local organisation and management of the work of the clinic, to raise funds and contribute towards the cost of operation of the clinic.’ In particular:— (a) To provide for cleaning, laundering. disinfection, lighting and heating of all rooms and offices of the clinic. (b) To provide and maintain. at a reasonable standard all non-technical furnishings and equipment and to maintain the clinic building where it is not vested in the Education or other authority. (c) To pay to the Department of Health a contribution of £3O per annum for each dental officer or nurse employed at its clinic, the contributions to be payable in quarterly instalments on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 in each year.

(d) To ensure that in scattered districts provision is made for transporting the children to the clinic or treatment centre without cost to the Department. (e) To bring before the notice of the Department any suggestions for increasing the efficiency of the service in the district. The dental clihic committee is invited to forward to the Senior Dental Officer, Department of Health a report for transmission to the Minister of Health of its work during the preceding year and information and suggestions desired to be brought before the Department. A dental clinic committee is authorised to make a charge not exceeding 5s per annum for each child receiving treatment. Provided, however that no child may be debarred from receiving treatment owing to the parents’ inability to pay. A committee, will deem all parents able to pay unless they have presented their case in writing to the committee. A dental clinic committee may delegate to school committees authority to charge and collect fees for dental treatment. Either committee must make its own arrangements as to fee collection. In no case will a child who has passed beyond the primer classes be enrolled for treatment. A record should be kept of fees and charges remitted and lists of children eligible for treatment should be furnished to the officer in charge of the clinic. The constitution provides that the committee shall consist of not less than five, and not more than 15 members.