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8
2 CO-ORDINATION.
The administrative work of the School Medical Service is
carried out in the Health Department under the supervision of the
School Medical Officer who is also Medical Officer of Health with
charge of the Council's scheme for Maternity and Child Welfare
Dr. Roberts, whose duties are mainly in connection with school
children, gives assistance in Public Health matters and acts as
Deputy in the absence of the Medical Officer of Health, while
Dr. Eyton-Jones devotes rather less than half his time to school
work.
(a). Infant and Child Welfare.
The popularity and success of this work continues to increase,
and whereas in 1926 there were two Centres each open for two
afternoon sessions per week, there are now three Centres with
a total of eight sessions weekly. Children may attend these Centres
until they reach school age, and upon the recommendation of the
Medical Officers, may attend the School Clinics for treatment of
visual and dental defects and minor ailments. X-ray treatment for
Ringworm can also be arranged. Children between one and five
years are visited by the Health Visitors as regularly as possible.
The result is that a growing number of children enter school
with their medical history already available, and with such defects
as have been discovered either treated or under observation.
Ultimately it is hoped to find that the " Entrant" group of
children examined at routine medical inspections will yield a far
smaller percentage of cases requiring treatment. It is of course
grossly uneconomic to allow the health and stamina of infants to
deteriorate till five years old, and then to spend large sums of
money in trying to make good the damage between the ages of
five and fifteen. All effort, therefore, to conserve and improve the
health of the pre-school child must be encouraged, for it is
probably true to say that early care and preventive treatment
could have cleared away many of the defects we are now called
upon to deal with in the school child.
(1b). The Care of Debilitated Children under School Age.
As mentioned above, children up to the age of five years have
access to the Welfare Centres, and no debilitated child need go
without advice and the treatment for which we have facilities.