Health day a success
The message was clear: ‘‘If you have a sore throat, go and see the doctor.’’
So said Lee Pearce of Pacific Health, one of several health professionals at Wellington Kindergarten’s health day recently at Toru Fetu kindergarten in Cannons Creek.
About 25 children from the Pasifika homebased service Etu Ao attended the day, as well as educators and family members.
The 4- year- olds had their ‘‘ B4 School’’ health checks.
Other services included ear and hearing testing, throat swabs for rheumatic fever, and skin checks.
Information about Pacific Health and social services, dental health, nutrition and smoking cessation and special education services were also available.
Etu Ao visiting teachers Ngaretta Strong and Lofi Kupa organised the day for Wellington Kindergartens.
‘‘It was a really successful day and it will be repeated,’’ said Kupa.
She said providing transport to get the children to Toru Fetu was crucial in getting such a good turnout.
Strong said the day was also important in raising awareness about what services were available, and in building strong relationships with the agencies involved.
Pearce and her colleagues from Pacific Health were checking on skin problems, signing people up for smoking cessation programmes and taking throat swabs for rheumatic fever.
Pearce had other advice for families wanting to avoid the serious consequences of rheumatic fever, which can include permanent heart damage.
Mii Williams, a home-based educator with the Etu Ao service, attended with Serenity, a 2-year old she looks after, and two 3-year-old children.
‘‘ It’s awesome. Every child should be checked up,’’ she said.
She and others commended Wellington Kindergartens for getting parental consent forms organised, because many of the children were accompanied by their home-based educator rather than a parent, with many parents at work.