asked the Minister for Health the number of (a) doctors and (b) dentists employed in the school medical service in Dublin city; the number of visits paid under the school medical service to each school per year; whether advance notice of such visits is given to pupils and their parents; and the total annual cost of the service in Dublin city.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Medical Service.
61.
Mr. O'Malley
At present eight doctors and 13 dentists are employed in the School Medical Service in Dublin city; in addition, dental services are provided for school children at the Dublin Dental Hospital, under an arrangement with the Dublin Health Authority. Each school is visited approximately once every 16 months; some weeks before each visit, consent forms are issued to the pupils, whom it is proposed to examine, for signature by their parents. For the year ended 31st March, 1965, the estimated cost of the School Health Examination Service for Dublin city was £22,400; this does not include the cost of treatment arising out of such examinations.
62.
asked the Minister for Health what ophthalmological services are provided for school children under the schools medical service.
Mr. O'Malley
Pupils of national schools are entitled, inter alia, to ophthalmic treatment and optical appliances, free of charge, in respect of defects discovered at school health examinations.
If a child is not found to have an ophthalmic defect at the school examination—and I think the Minister will agree a general practitioner or the school medical officer would not be in a position to determine this—how can the child avail of the service? Could he avail of it by a letter from the doctor to the hospital?
Mr. O'Malley
If he is not found to have what?
I take it from the Minister's reply that as a result of the medical examination in the school he can have the ophthalmic services made available to him?
Mr. O'Malley
Yes.
I take it the Minister will agree that the general practitioner would not be in a position to determine whether he had any eye defect or not? How could he avail of the services then as a result of the school examination?
Mr. O'Malley
I do not understand the Deputy's supplementary. I told him that pupils of national schools are entitled to the service. I told him previously that we are trying to bring in other categories of schools. In addition, children under six years attending clinics, health centres or similar institutions in respect of defects discovered at such clinics, health centres or institutions are also entitled to this treatment free. What is the problem?
Can a child attending a national school obtain these services free on a letter from a doctor to the hospital if the defect has not been discovered at the school inspection? In other words, if the parent brought the child to a private practitioner?
Mr. O'Malley
That has cropped up in several local authorities. The usual procedure is that the doctor in question communicates with the people who have examined the school children and it is done.
Once every 16 months is not very often for the school examination.
Mr. O'Malley
It is worse than that.
Does the Minister assert that there is no difficulty in respect of children where the diagnosis takes place outside the school examination? They have only to communicate with the school medical officer and the treatment is free of charge?
Mr. O'Malley
There should not be.
That is a new one on me.