First Mobile Dental Clinic Launched

Hundreds of rural children are assured of help from the dental nurse with the launch today by Health Minister Bill English of the first of three new mobile clinics.

The mobile clinics are mounted on trucks and they will be driven by dental therapists from place to place.

"These new units are fitted out with the latest equipment. I am quite sure that children are going to like them a whole lot better than visiting some of the old dental clinics we have around the country.

"They will also get a much better quality service because the clinics have the best equipment available, and working in them is going to be much improved from the dental therapists' point of view.

"We will be able to spend money on dental services for children rather than spending it on upgrading the many small school clinics. This is the opposite of centalisation of rural services. It's about taking services to people - in this case children," said Mr English.

The mobile clinics have been built by Caravans International Munro Limited in Otorohanga. They have been bought by Health Waikato at a cost of $160,000 each.

"It's been a real team effort by all the staff of C I Munro to build these clinics and it is good to see such a skilled workforce in operation in a small town," said Mr English.