Ipswich dentist to travel to Nepal on charity mission
A dentist based in Ipswich is preparing to travel to Nepal to embark on a charity mission.
Junior dentist at Ipswich Hospital, Priyasma Gauchan, will visit Lo Manthang as part of a project organised by the Smiles Across Nepal charity.
Ms Gauchan, who is from Colchester, will be part of a team of volunteers, which will endeavour to provide basic oral care to people who have never seen a dentist before. The team will be based around 8 miles away from the nearest town. Dental care is not widely available in Nepal, and conditions that are treated routinely in the UK can prove deadly.
Priyasma’s father was a British Gurkha officer and she lived in Nepal for two years before moving to Colchester. She is now planning to return to Nepal to offer her time and skills to help people in need.
To raise money for the trip, Priyasma organised a gala dinner with a Nepalese theme. The event, which took place on Sunday 1st April, involved a three-course dinner and there was also a raffle, a disco and live Himalayan sand art.
Priyasma explained that some people have to walk for 5 or 6 days to get to the nearest health centre and as a result, issues we treat routinely in the UK can often prove fatal. Smiles Across Nepal is working to provide remote communities with access to the care they need to prevent oral health disease claiming more lives.
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