ADRA NEPAL Jan 2005

Tashi Palkhiel Charity AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIAN DENTAL TEAM 6TH TO 22ND JANUARY 2005


VENUE

PARLJOLING TIBETAN CAMP
PRITHIBICHOCK, POKHARA SUBMITTED BY
Bishnu Shrestha
Sr. Dental Assistant
ADRA Nepal
Phone: +977-11- 661292
Fax: +977-11-661886
E-Mail: rajank@mail.cam.np

PROGRAM SUMMARY:

ADRA's dental program in Nepal began in early 1990s when overseas Rotary Dental Team from Australia visited Nepal; they provided free dental services through dental camps organized at remote areas of Kavre district and Leprosy Commune, Khokana. Since then the program has gained momentum and has stretched to considerable proportion. With technical assistance and equipment donations from Rotary Australia, a dental clinic was set up at the ADRA medical center, Banepa in 1995. The clinic has since provided dental services such as extractions, fillings, scaling and oral health education to thousands of poor patients through the static clinic camps. At present four dental assistants are providing regular services from the clinic and visiting remote areas frequently.


OBJECTIVE OF ADRA'S DENTAL PROGRAM:
1. Increase the overall awareness of the people in rural areas regarding the importance of oral health.
2. Provide dental health education to school children regarding the importance of dental health.
3. Provide dental health services namely filling, extraction, scaling and oral health education to at least 5000 people every year from the static clinic.
4. To co-operate with Rotary Australia dental teams in providing at least four dental camps every year.
OBVJECTIVES OF POKHARA DENTAL CAMP:
1. To provide free dental services to the needy Tibetan refugees and surrounding Nepali people.
2. Skill sharing with local volunteers.
3. Oral hygiene teaching for the local school children

SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION
The list of people who participated from the heart for the needy people are:

1. FROM AUSTRALIA
Dr. Terry Wong, Dr. Maria Claudianos, Chris Catsanis, Isobel Griffin, Gail Rice, Catherine Mckewan, Chris Frangoff, Christina Daniele, Alice Robertson, Joanna Miller, Lorraine Melanson,Jyoti Choi, and Nash Calandine.

2. FROM NEPAL
ADRA Nepal joins with the Australian Dental team supporting them with medical registration, transporting the all the dental equipment and supplies to work site and providing chairs with lights and a generator for the duration of the camp. Two of ADRA Nepal's best dental Assistants namely Sr.Dental Assistant Bishnu Kumar Shrestha and Dental Assistant Rajendra Ranamagar traveled and worked with the Australian Dental Team providing a valuable cross cultural link.



3. FROM PARLJORLING TIBETAN CAMP
- Big support from Parljorling Tibetan Health Clinic by providing the working area for the team.
- Support from the Tibetan Camp Chief – Mr.Norbu Dorjee and staff.
- Support from Hotel Mandala - Mr. Narayan Pahari, Family and staff.
- Lodrik Welfare - Mr. Wangyal Lama.

 

  

 

BENEFICIARIES:
Through this free dental camp the Tibetan Refugees from Parljorling Tibetan Camp, Prithibi chock, and other Tibetan Refugee Camps people and surrounding Nepali people came to receive the free dental services.

 

ACTIVITIES:
During this free dental camp, the service activities that were performed were scaling, filling, extraction and oral health instruction.
Good management of storing the supplies and the best sterilization work was implemented.ACHIEVEMENTS:
The camp provided dental services to 611 patients from Tibetan Camps and the surrounding Nepali people. Out of 611 patients the total procedure done was 767 and out of which 283 teeth were extracted, 68 peoples teeth were cleaned (scaling), and 416 teeth were filled. This featured 37% extraction, 9% scaling, and 54% filling.
Out of 611 patients 106 patients were only provided with the screening. These people needed complicated dental service and were referred to dental hospital. Those who needed no treatment were provided with oral health instruction.

CONSTRAINTS:
- Working on the terrace! Had a hard time in rain.
- No supplies for the preventive measures like pamphlets etc.
- Poor lighting

LESSON LEARNED:
Good team work leads to Success.
RECOMMENDATION:
- Prior to dental health education, organize the posters and pamphlets.
- Need good assessment in finding the working locations for the future.


Patient's thoughts about the free dental camp.

1.
Patient Name: Prem Wagle
Age/Sex: 30/ M
Address: Pokhara 7.
Nationality: Nepali
Case History:
Gum bleeding since 5 month and also having bad breath.
Service History:
Received the service from the camp. Scaling was done for the treatment and was a bit painful. The behavior of the health team was very good towards the patient and one should praise the team.
Thoughts about the camp:
∑ With this kind of free dental camp, people who can not pay like me will get the treatment.
∑ May also need to provide the counselling on how to take care of the teeth.
∑ May need to do more advertisement of the camp so that the people in pain will get the best service.
At the end I thank both ADRA Nepal and Australian Dental team for providing such a good camp.2.
Patient Name: Yanchen Dolma
Age/Sex: 28/Fe
Address: Jampaling Tibetan refugee camp, Dhulegaunda, Tanahu.
Tibetan
Case History:
Toothache and sensation with hot and cold since teeth has got hole.
Service History:
Received the service. Extracted one teeth. The way our dentist treat and the way they adviced us are so polite and I appreciate a lot.
Thoughts about the camp: They are really really helpful and generous towards the people like us which are so rare to get the chance like this.
3.
Patient Name: Thupten Tsering
Age/Sex: 28/M


Address: Paljorling Tibetan Camp, Prithibi Chock, Pokhara.
Case History:
I don't have such a pain but I must confess that my teeth have hole and decayed.
Service History:
I received the service. I have one filling and scaled all my teeth.
The dentist is very polite and frank. Among them I like Nepali dentist but I don't mean others are bad. All are good and well deserved.
Thoughts about the camp:
They are really helpful and generous towards people like us. We are expecting such help in the times to come. Thank you so much.

DENTAL TEAM IN ACTION AT PALJORLING TIBETAN CAMP,
PRITHIBI CHOCK, POKHARA.

 

 

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