Public dental teaching clinic a boost for Ballina
Page MP Janelle Saffin has announced $722,000 for the University of Sydney Dental School to construct a dental teaching clinic in Ballina.
Ms Saffin said the funding will allow the University to expand its rural placements in Ballina.
“Dental services in our region have been under-resourced for years, and I lobbied strongly for this joint proposal by the University of Sydney Dental School, NSW Health Centre for Oral Health Strategy and the North Coast Area Health Service,” she said.
“The $722,000 will go towards the total project cost of $1,172,000 for the expansion of the Ballina Hospital Dental Clinic and the opening of a student training facility and outreach clinic.
“The Sydney Dental Student Outreach Clinic will provide opportunities for dental students to live, work and train in our region and help attract more people to work in our community.
“This project is one of 22 rural education infrastructure projects being announced by the Rudd Government across Australia to boost rural training opportunities for health, dental and allied health students in rural communities.
“These projects are an important part of the Government’s strategy to build our rural health workforce of the future.
“I am delighted to be able to announce a project here in Ballina, and Professor Anthony Blinkhorn, the Head of Population Oral Health at the University of Sydney, has told me he is over the moon about the news that this proposal can go ahead.
“There’s a long waiting list for access to public dental facilities in our area, and these new facilities will provide an increase in clinical services to help treat some of those people who are in desperate need.
“Since the Howard Government axed the Commonwealth dental health program in 1997, there’s been a huge gap in our public dental health services, with some 650,000 people across Australia on public dental waiting lists.
“The Rudd Government introduced legislation for a Commonwealth Dental Health Program to provide $290 million to fund public dental visits, including about $2 million for dental visits in our region, but the bill remains blocked in the Senate by the National and Liberal Party Senators.”
PICTURE: Janelle Saffin at Ballina Dental Clinic with (from left) Denise Harrison, the clinic’s Senior Dental Therapist, Greg Davies, Clinical Director of the Oral Health program for North Coast Area Health Service, and 7-year-old Soleil Ashford in the dentist’s chair.
