Missão novembre 2019
Dentists:
Toon Rigter
Pieter Louwerse
Jan den Outer
Bastiaan Determann
Rob de Bruin
Assistent:
Bibian Duives
Sao Tomé, Aqua Izé
We arrived with our group on the 16th of november at Sao Tomé Airport. First we picked up our equipment at Cacau Casa das Artes in Sao Tomé City and brought it with the pick-up car to the saùd (small hospital) in Aqua Izé.
We started working on Monday and it was the first time we brought a mobile dental-unit with us, which we used a lot! We used the unit for preparing the fillings, removing tartar and it was also very helpful for splitting molars. We also brought with us 500 bamboo toothbrushes to hand out to the patients after their treatment.
We had a great interpreter, called Alvaro, a laborant who's working in the hospital/saùd of Aqua Izé.
He helped us this week to translate and explane the treatments to the patients. The hospital prepared for us on the last day, friday, a lovely farewell lunch with local food, which we enjoyed very much!
We finally did 227 check-ups, 284 tooth extractions, 17 remove tartar and cleaning and 11 fillings.
An impression of our week at Sao Tomé
Principe, Santo Antonio
The second week ( 23-28 november) we flew to the Island Principe. We were very pleased to be able to stay again in the Roça Belo Monte Hotel. They provided our rooms during our stay, which we appreciated and enjoyed very much. It was the first time we could work on the island, in the hospital of Santo António. We were able to use the dental office of the hospital dentist, called Mariana. The second “room” we created outside on the balcony, where an old dentist chair was already present.
We brought our mobile dental-unit with us, which we used a lot. We left the dental-unit behind in the Principe hospital for the Dentist Mariana to use it. She was very happy with it, because her dental equipment didn’t work anymore. We also took extra anesthesia with us, to leave it here at the hospital for the dentist Mariana. There wasn't any anesthesia in her dental practice. We didn't had enough bamboo toothbrushes anymore to give away to all the patients on Principe, so we decided to hand out the toothbrush only to the childeren after their treatment. We were working with an interpreter from the island, her name was Paulita, she was a great help for us. She also helped us with assistant work.
We did 150 check-ups, 17 fillings, 20 tartar removals and cleaning and 123 tooth extractions.
Back in Sao Tomé on friday we drove to Nevus to meet Carolina, a dentist who works for Mundo a sorir. Carolina wanted us to have a look at a dental-problem and also meet us after e-mail and facetime contacts we earlier have had with her.
We hope to be back in november 2020, with almost the same group of people, for doing this great job again!
The second week ( 23-28 november) we flew to the Island Principe. We were very pleased to be able to stay again in the Roça Belo Monte Hotel. They provided our rooms during our stay, which we appreciated and enjoyed very much. It was the first time we could work on the island, in the hospital of Santo António. We were able to use the dental office of the hospital dentist, called Mariana. The second “room” we created outside on the balcony, where an old dentist chair was already present.
We brought our mobile dental-unit with us, which we used a lot. We left the dental-unit behind in the Principe hospital for the Dentist Mariana to use it. She was very happy with it, because her dental equipment didn’t work anymore. We also took extra anesthesia with us, to leave it here at the hospital for the dentist Mariana. There wasn't any anesthesia in her dental practice. We didn't had enough bamboo toothbrushes anymore to give away to all the patients on Principe, so we decided to hand out the toothbrush only to the childeren after their treatment. We were working with an interpreter from the island, her name was Paulita, she was a great help for us. She also helped us with assistant work.
We did 150 check-ups, 17 fillings, 20 tartar removals and cleaning and 123 tooth extractions.
Back in Sao Tomé on friday we drove to Nevus to meet Carolina, a dentist who works for Mundo a sorir. Carolina wanted us to have a look at a dental-problem and also meet us after e-mail and facetime contacts we earlier have had with her.
We hope to be back in november 2020, with almost the same group of people, for doing this great job again!
A 3 minute impression of our week at Principe