Billingham dental team returns from refugee mission in Greece
A team of four dental professionals from Billingham has returned from a charity mission in Greece. A team of nurses and dentists from Queensway Dental recently spent a week helping Syrian refugees in the north of Greece.
Dentists, Dr Paul Averley and Dr Uzma Olbrich were joined by dental nurses, Hannah Bell and Katie Fergusson, on the trip, which took them to a busy refugee camp in Northern Greece. The project was overseen by the Health-Point Foundation charity.
Over the course of five days in the camp, the team treated more than 90 refugees, many of whom had fled brutal war in Syria. Most had left jobs and families behind. The refugee camps in Greece have become increasingly busy due to the closure of the border with Macedonia, which is preventing refugees from travelling across Europe and there is increasing pressure on resources.
Dr Olbrich said that it was hard to describe the camps and to see how people are living. It’s getting colder by the day, conditions are very basic and many people have tragic stories to tell. The team from Queensway Dental wanted to help in any way possible and visiting the camp enabled them to use their skills to treat people in need of dental care. Although a small mercy, many were incredibly grateful for the treatment they received. Access to medical and dental care is extremely limited and volunteer projects run by charities like the Health-Point Foundation are helping to make a difference.
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