Waikato mobile dental unit heads to Christchurch
One of Waikato’s mobile dental units is heading south to Christchurch to help provide dental care while repairs are made to the dental department of Canterbury District Health Board’s hospital.
The mobile unit will be stationed in the Christchurch area for three months; the dental department at the hospital was badly damaged by the earthquake last month and needs urgent repairs before it can operate again. The unit will help to provide cover and make dental care more accessible for patients in the Christchurch area.
The unit is one of nine vans providing dental care for children in the Waikato area; the fleet of vans is part of an eleven million dollar investment in dental services in Waikato. In total, Waikato District Health Board has fifteen mobile units and plans have been approved to build six new fixed clinics in the region. Refurbishments will also be carried out on the dental ward of Tokoroa Hospital.
The loss of one unit will affect productivity in certain areas, but the request was signed off by Jan Adams, chief operating officer of Waikato Health last week as part of a national effort to help rebuild Christchurch and help to restore public services and help those affected by the earthquake.
Join this Discussion