Traumatic scenes unfolded at an emergency screening clinic yesterday following news nearly 2500 South Auckland youngsters were treated with contaminated dental equipment.
Concerned parents had taken their children to the community dental clinic near Pukekohe Intermediate School where public health nurses were beginning an intensive screening programme for children put at risk of hepatitis B and C and HIV.
Mothers cried in the hallway while wailing children had blood tests done as the Counties Manukau District Health Board dealt with one of the country’s largest dental health scares.
It was feared about 2500 children treated at the intermediate school’s dental clinic between September 13 and January 23 may have been exposed to a number of diseases.
The health board blames malfunctioning dental equipment for exposing children treated at the dental clinic to unsterilised water, possibly containing blood or saliva.
An investigation was under way into how it happened.
A security guard had also been stationed at the clinic.
Two specialist blood-testing clinics opened at 9am for children who had been treated at the Pukekohe dental clinic over the past five months. They will be open 12 hours a day, every day.
Health board chief medical officer Gloria Johnson said the families of every child who was treated at the clinic would be contacted in the coming days.
‘‘We will be aiming to contact every child and family individually within the next seven days and they will all be offered an individual face-to-face appointment and we’re aiming to have that done within the next three weeks,’’ Dr Johnson said.
As a precaution, the Southern District Health Board has checked its fixed dental clinics.
Southern DHB oral health clinical director Tim Mackay said all of the board’s mobile dental units were serviced recently and ‘‘no issues were found’’.
As a precaution, the fixed oral health clinics in Dunedin were checked yesterday.
‘‘We’re seeking further information from Counties Manukau DHB to better understand the exact nature of the problems they are experiencing. Most DHBs, including Southern DHB, as well as private dental practices, have similar oral health equipment,’’ Mr Mackay said.
- NZME/Eileen Goodwin
