Gorkha, Rajan Thapa
There are signs that the citizens of remote villages will gradually end the obligation to travel long distances for even simple dental treatment. With the launch of a free dental health camp at Thalajung Health Post located in Siranchok Rural Municipality-2 of Gorkha and the formal inauguration of the Thalajung Dental Cabin, new hope, new confidence and new smiles have been added to the locals. Locals have expressed their confidence that now the obligation to go to the district headquarters or other cities for simple dental problems will be reduced.
The two-day camp, organized by Siranchok Rural Municipality and run with the technical support of Om Samaj Dental Hospital, provided free dental check-ups, consultations, teeth cleaning, fillings, tooth extractions and X-ray services. The program was concluded under the chairmanship of Khushiman Gurung, Chairman of Ward No. 2 and Chairman of Thalajung Health Post Management Committee.
The chief guest of the program, Rural Municipality Chairman Gyanendra Gurung, said that expanding quality and permanent dental health services in rural areas is the priority of the local government and that there can be no greater development than health. He expressed his belief that the operation of dental services in the village is a historic achievement for the citizens of this place and that it will have a positive impact in the long run.
The program was attended by Rita Thapa, who is currently holding the responsibility of Technical and Ward Secretary of Rural Municipality-2, MUTU Foundation Nepal Chairman Dhan Bahadur Gurung, Chief Administrative Officer Thakur Prasad Aryal, Health Branch Chief Tukman Shrestha, Thalajung Health Post Chief Nawaraj Shrestha, Om Samaj Dental Hospital Board Member, Social Activist and Journalist Rajan Thapa, among others.
MUTU Foundation Nepal Chairman Dhan Bahadur Gurung stated that health service is the basic right of every citizen and said that the main objective of the organization is to provide quality services to the citizens of remote settlements. He stated that the smiles of the beneficiaries are his biggest reward and expressed his commitment to continue such humanitarian campaigns in the coming days.
Ward Secretary Rita Thapa said that the start of permanent dental services in the village was a historic achievement for the locals and expressed gratitude to all the organizations, doctors and volunteers who supported them. Chief Administrative Officer Thakur Prasad Aryal said that the collaboration between the local government, health organizations and international partners has set a new example in the rural health sector. Social activist and journalist Rajan Thapa stated that seeing smiles return to the faces of citizens of remote settlements is the biggest achievement of his social campaign and expressed his commitment to further expand the journey of service and humanity.
Health Branch Chief Nawaraj Shrestha said, “The free health camp has instilled faith and hope in health among the citizens. My heartfelt thanks to all the health workers, organizers and supporters dedicated to this campaign. I wish such service-oriented programs to continue moving forward.”
294 citizens availed the services in the two days of the camp. Of these, 119 had their teeth cleaned, 76 had their teeth filled, 64 had their teeth extracted and 42 had dental X-rays done. In addition, free dental check-ups and health consultations were provided to students of Shree Mahipate Secondary School and Shree Ahal Bhanjyang Secondary School. The enthusiastic participation of school students to senior citizens has increased awareness of dental health in the community.
The most emotional moment of the camp was the successful treatment of 82-year-old Bir Bahadur Sarki. The team of doctors worked continuously for about 2 hours and 35 minutes to extract his extremely complicated tooth. The treatment was successful with the joint efforts of Dr. Mamta Bhujel, Dr. Diksha Chaudhary, Dr. Seema Yadav and assistants Junu Pandit and Amisha Lawati of Om Samaj Dental Hospital. According to the team, this treatment, which took such a long time, was the first experience of their service journey. The smile on Bir Bahadur Sarki’s face after being freed from unbearable pain for years made everyone present emotional.
MUTU Foundation Nepal, Manoj Association (France) and SHERPAE Marseille (France) had significant support to make this project a success. The organizers also stated that the financial and humanitarian support of international partners including Marie Rolland, Clara Roche-Poggi, Esteban Rigaud, Victor Lelievre, Paul Joana and Lou-Neige Champigny from France played a significant role in making the campaign more effective. According to the locals, the start of permanent dental services in the village is not just an addition to a health service,