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Nepal
Dental Report
Jan 2003
by Robert Gammal
It is certainly strange to come to a steamy Sydney summer in the mid thirties after spending three weeks in a Himalayan winter. Temperatures ranged from 170C to 00C.
New Years eve was a day of rain in Pokhara and light snow on the surrounding
mountains. We were blessed with spectacular views of the Anapurna Ranges
and the majesty of Mount Machapuchre (Fish Tail Mountain) overseeing our
work at the Tashi Palkhiel Tibetan Refugee Settlement Camp (Hyanga).The
Tibetan community at Tashi Palkhiel was kind enough to provide excellent
work premises for us at the Dun-Sel Medical Clinic. Although basic in
layout, we did have ample electricity and water and also wonderful assistance
from the local people.
The team was comprised of Dr Robert Gammal, Dr Terry Wong with nursing
provided by Melisa Anderson and Sarah Lorien from Australia.
We were fortunate to also be joined by Dr Bishnu Shrestha (dentist ADRA
Nepal). Chris Catsanis and Lisa Hynes provided much needed administrative
and local social support.
Two Tibetan nurses, Yogita and Karma, assisted us.
Many other people helped to make the work successful by acting as cleaners,
interpreters and crowd control. Each member of the team covered their
own expenses, (airfares, accommodation and food etc). We were fortunate
to skill share with six local Tibetan people and were able to teach basic
sterilization and instrument handling techniques.
Narayan Pahari (nepaleseencounters.com)
who runs the Mandala
Hotel in Lakeside Pokhara has given enormous local assistance with
accommodation and warm hospitality.
Hotel Mandala
(Lake Side Pokhara T: + + 977 61 534690 F: + + 977 61 522889 Email: mandala@fewanet.com.np)
We were also fortunate to have the assistance of ADRA Nepal. Without their help this project would not have happened. Dr Shrestha is a member of the ADRA team and has had vast experience working in the remote areas of Nepal with many international dental teams. He also gave oral hygiene instruction in the local school.
Christmas day was spent setting up the clinic, with organizing most of
the premises, creating sterilizing areas and unpacking the equipment.
Boxing day 9am saw the arrival of over 60 people requesting treatment.
Screening of the patients occurred outdoors in the sun in the morning
and after lunch, so that the work load could be most productively dealt
with.
The services we were able to supply included fillings, scaling, extractions
and oral hygiene instruction. Treatment was of course free of charge and
directed primarily to the poorest and neediest members of the Nepali and
Tibetan communities.
We had a roughly 50:50 split of Tibetan and Nepali patients with one morning
devoted to 56 Remote children from the most remote areas who had to walk
for 8 days to their villages for their annual holidays. These children
were leaving the next day to travel back to see their families –
3000 – 4000 meters altitude. These children who were 8 – 10
years old were the calmest and most relaxed patients I have seen in over
27 years of dentistry. It was a great privilege.
In ten days we treated about 450 people. Over 304 extractions, 150 fillings
and 89 scalings were performed.
The gratitude from everyone who received treatment is a reflection of
the great support we have had from all sponsors of this project.
I offer my personal thanks and pass on the heart felt thanks from the
people of Nepal to all who have made this trip a success. I hope that
a long relationship will develop over the years. Your support is helping
many needy communities in Nepal. As they say in Nepali ‘Danyabat’
and in Tibetan ‘Tuk Chee Chey’.
Thanks
Robert Gammal and the team.