FIRST DENTAL CAMP IS A SUCCESS!
We are happy to report that we recently received an update and full information about the success of the first Dental Camp in Nepal. Ark Mission was one of the sponsors that helped finance the program and it is great to see how much it accomplished! Ark Mission would also like to thank everyone who helped with the Dental Camp program! We couldn’t do it without your help and support! Ark Mission hopes that we can do this camp every month so that every child will have an opportunity to have his or her teeth checked by the dentists and receive proper dental treatment.
I. Introduction
Nepal Children’s Organization (NCO) also known as ‘Bal Mandir’ is an autonomous non-government organization dedicated to improving the lives of children through out Nepal since 1964. It focuses on childcare and education for orphans, abandoned and conflict affected children, dependent children of prisoners, and also the promotion of children rights. At present, we are pursuing our mission through our branches in 75 districts and 11 children homes in Nepal. We are providing the best available care and support to 600 children in these homes through the funds and support that we receive from our kind sponsors.
Our efforts to provide a foundation for a secured and dignified future for the children in NCO starts with provision of basic necessities like food, shelter, clothes and health care. Starting from the year of establishment, we have been conducting different programs in order to promote and ensure the children’s rights. The programs ranged from skill development program, rehabilitation program, scholarship, and awareness program to various health programs.
This year on February 2nd 2008, Saturday a dental camp on the premise of NCO, Nepal was successfully organized. The sole financial supporter of the program was the ARK Mission, USA. Two pharmaceutical companies Deurali Janta and TIMES provided medicines for the program. It was organized with the help of four dentists from ‘Dental Clinic’, Hattisar and 19 volunteers. The whole program was coordinated by Miss Anima Bhattachan, a current volunteer of NCO. The dental camp was effectively and efficiently conducted in the presence of Mrs. Reeta Singh Baidhya, Chairperson of NCO; NCO staff, Mr. Bishnu Bhatta, Nepali representative from ARK Mission, media and a few respectable guests.
II. Objectives
Sound oral health and hygiene is one of the major keys to good health. However due to the lack of awareness, and also a high cost of treatment, people often take the importance of oral health for granted. Children are more susceptible to bad oral health from the food they eat, and mostly due to the carelessness they show while brushing and cleaning their teeth.
Taking the above issues into consideration, the children of Bal Griha, Bal Mandir, Nepal above 3 years were targeted as per the goal of the program. Besides this, children below 3 years having teeth problems were also treated withib in the program.
Hence, the objectives of the dental camp were:
A preventive measure to ensure a good oral health.
Examination of oral health of the children and prescription of medicine accordingly.
Simple treatment involving extraction of the tooth.
Referring serious cases for complex treatment to the clinic.
Assurance that the clinic will charge nominal amount for the services provided thereof.
III. The Event
With some changes in the schedule, the program started at 11.30 am. The program commenced after the chairing of Mrs. Reeta Singh in the podium followed by the deputy director, representative of ARK Mission and dentists. A welcome speech was given by the deputy director. A speech on dental health and its importance was given by Dr. Kajal Naina Sherchan. The formal program was ended with thank you speech by Miss Anima Bhattachan.
After the end of the formal program, the dental camp was started. First the children from Bal Griha were examined followed by the NCO staff, and finally volunteers. The oral health and hygiene of the children were examined during the camp. A simple extraction of teeth was done, and the oral hygiene instructions were given to the children in the camp. After the examination, refreshments were distributed among the children, doctors, guests and volunteers.
Total number of examined children: - 183
Total number of examined volunteers: - 15
Total number of examined NCO staff: 5
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXAMINED PEOPLE: - 203
IV. Findings
The dental camp proved to be very beneficial to the children. After a thorough check up, it was found out that the oral health condition of the children was good. The reason may be because of routine eating habits; less intake of sweets and food harmful to tooth. However due to carelessness while brushing as well as a wrong way of brushing, the hygiene level was found to be quite poor among some children.
The children who have been prescribed for the further treatment are being taken to the clinic. Due to limitations like load shading, schools of children, the completion of treatment will take little more time than required. However we have worked on the schedule with the dentists and the children to complete the treatment as soon as possible.
V. Conclusion
After summing up all the findings, we have been able to conclude that the children of Bal Griha have a good oral health but poor hygiene. They need to be made aware about the importance and maintenance of good oral hygiene. Hence, we will soon be conducting a class disseminating information on the importance and ways to maintain oral hygiene condition for these children with the help of dentists who helped in conducting the camp.
As every child of Bal Griha was examined, and the follow up treatment are being conducted to those required, the dental camp was a success.