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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 and Dr. Freeman are engaged in school medical work as well as the other
health services. This applies also to the nursing and clerical staff, so that co-ordination of all the
services is complete.
The popularity and success of our Maternity and Child Welfare work continues to increase,
and whereas in 1926 there were two Centres each open for two afternoon sessions per week, there
are now four Centres with a total of ten sessions weekly. Children may attend these Centres until
they reach school age, and upon the recommendation of the Medical Officers, may, before they
reach school age, attend the School Clinics for treatment of visual and dental defects and minor
ailments. X-ray treatment for Ringworm can also be arranged.
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. All effort
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.
More and more children are being brought to the Dental Clinic by their parents from the
Maternity and Child Welfare Centres demanding attention to their teeth, but it is almost without
exception the same story.
The parents bring the child up because the child is in pain; not because the teeth have
decayed, and it is amazing how many of the parents when questioned, admit that it was not so
much the child's dental trouble that brought them up but their own loss of rest at night consequent
on it.
3.—THE SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE IN RELATION TO
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
School Hygiene.
The School buildings and sanitary arrangements are periodically inspected, and a complete
survey of the schools is made from time to time. Every school in the district is visited at least
twice a year by a Medical Officer.
During the year under review however there were no special efforts made for critical
reporting on the matters under the headings detailed in the memorandum Form 6M. (Schedule)
from the Board of Education, issued as a guidance for the Reports of School Medical Officers on
the year's work.
It may be stated however that there are no official arrangements for drying children's
clothes or boots other than spreading them in the recognised cloakrooms.
4.—MEDICAL INSPECTION.
The age groups selected for inspection are those laid down by the Board of Education,
viz.:—
1. All new entrants (5 year old children).
2. Second Age Group (8 year old children).
3. Third Age Group (12 year old children).
4. Other Routine Inspections.
Children attending the Spring Grove Central School are examined yearly.
Every school in the Borough has been visited twice by a Medical Officer during the year—
once for a routine medical inspection, and subsequently for the re-examination of children who
had been found to need treatment or observation.
The total number of routine medical inspections carried out during the year was 3,586.
The number inspected in 1932 was 4,057, but in spite of the decrease in 1933 it has been
necessary to engage extra medical assistance regularly throughout the year. The pressure in all
other sections of School Medical Work, particularly in the School Clinics, has continued unabated,
and the Authority's Medical Officers have been quite unable to cope with the requirements, even
by cutting down the lunch interval sometimes to a matter of minutes, and prolonged afternoon
sessions.
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