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96
clinics; Group I. through the medical clinics; Group II.
through the Eye Clinic; Group III. through the Ear,
Nose and Throat Clink; Group IV. through the
Orthopædic Clinic, and Group V. through the Dental
Clinic. Each of these Clinics will be dealt with
separately in the Report.
It is to be recorded that all children requiring
domiciliary treatment are referred to their own doctors,
and this is the broad line of demarcation between the
present State services and general practitioner service.
Group I. (page 120).
One thousand three hundred and seventy-five cases
received treatment at the Medical and Minor Ailment
Treatment clinics. Three hundred and sixty-nine
received treatment for skin diseases; 175 for minor eye
defects, excluding defective vision and squint; 223 minor
ear diseases, whilst a large number of children (608)
received treatment for minor illnesses. Much of this
treatment is carried out by the School Nurses at the Minor
Ailment Treatment Clinic which is held each morning.
The efficacy of this treatment lies in passing rapidly
through the Clinic cases with early defect; the treatment
must be short as well as effective otherwise congestion
arises. The length of treatment is largely dependent upon
the earliness at which the patient attends for treatment.
The longer the defect is established before it comes under
treatment the longer it must remain under treatment.
This is true especially in skin diseases, such as, impetigo,
and in minor ear diseases. With this must go skilled
treatment if patients are not to drag on and so crowd the
Clinic. Irregularity of attendance prolongs the treatment
; this being especially true in cases of chronic otitis
media, and it may be necessary in the near future to
establish special ear treatment clinics.
I would here like to express my appreciation of the
assistance given by the Voluntary Workers who attend
the Clinic daily to assist in the clerical work and maintain
orderliness at the Clinic; without their help the work of
the Nurses would be handicapped.