XN000022-1973-01-03 — Page 25

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Wednesday, January 3, 1973

SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE INCREASE

90 Per Cent Jump In Enrolment Announced

Enrolment in the School Medical Service stood at 68,837 on December 31,

1972, compared with 37,589 on the same date the previous year

a 90 per cent increase.

representing

The scheme was revised on October 1, 1972, to bring it more in line

with the Government's policy of providing nine years of aided education.

The revision meant that pupila in kindergartens were excluded, and

participation limited to pupils in primary schools, and secondary schools up to

Form III.

A special provision permitted pupils already participating in the

scheme, even those in Form V, to continue, if they wished.

Commenting on the increase, a spokesman for the School Medical Service

Board says there are a number of reasons for "this gratifying jump.

Er

In his view, "the obvious one is that more parents are coming to

believe that it is useful to have their children in a medical scheme which allows

for an unlimited number of visits to a doctor, and medicine free of charge, all

for $5 a year."

The School Medical Service is a scheme designed to provide economical

medical treatment among normally healthy children. It is voluntary, and parti-

cipating doctors are private medical practitioners. They receive $25 a child

a year $5 from the participant's contribution, and $20 from the Government.

——

/Specialist