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72
Summary.
To sum up, the further measures which are open to the
Council with a view to complying with the request of the
Government for greater care of children under five are as
follows :—
1. Additional welfare centres for general medical
supervision.
2a. Extension of the Special Clinic for Delicate Children
by specifically including the treatment of squint,
rheumatism and rickets in its scope and by increasing
the number of sessions.
2b. Provision of hospital beds for children suffering
from malnutrition and other defects, either directly
by the Council or by arrangement with some existing
suitable institution.
3. Dental inspection and additional Dental Clinic
sessions.
4. Establishment of a day nursery.
The chief difficulty in adopting this scheme is that of
finding sites for the proposed additional welfare centres and
day nursery. Special measures will have to be taken if
premises which can be adapted or adequate land in a suitable
position for building are to be obtained.
The capital expenditure involved by the scheme cannot
be estimated until it is known what premises or sites may
be available. Apart from the cost of the acquisition or
leasing of property, there would be an estimated outlay of
£500 on equipment. The total annual cost of maintenance
in connection with the four items is estimated at slightly
under £5,000. This estimate assumes that the hospital
beds referred to in item 2b would be obtained by arrangement
with some institution and not by the direct provision
of the Council.
It should be remembered in considering this estimate
that the scheme would have the result of enormously increasing
the Council's work for child welfare. It would
enable two or three times the present number of children to
be dealt with and would greatly increase the productiveness
of the work now carried on. The adoption of the scheme
or any substantial part of it would enable the Council justly
to claim the full exercise of its powers and the completeness
of its work for child welfare.
Vynne Borland,
Medical Officer of Health,