East Grinstead Dentist Prepares for Calais Trip to Help Migrants in Pain
A dentist from East Grinstead is preparing to travel to Calais to provide dental treatment for migrants living in ‘The Jungle’.
Aakrati Goutam, who is based at The Smile Gallery, was inspired to help fellow dentists volunteering at the camp after hearing about people being hospitalised as a result of severe pain and infections caused by preventable dental problems,
29 year old Aakrati will be setting off for Calais on the 12th of February. She will join a team of volunteers in offering routine dental checks and providing pain relief and dental treatment.
The team at The Smile Gallery, which is co-owned by Aakrati’s husband Rahul Nehra, is also collecting supplies for the trip, including warm blankets, winter clothing, toiletries, hats, gloves, scarves, collapsible beds and sleeping bags.
Rahul said there is a huge demand for medical and dental treatment in the migrant camps due to a surge in the number of people travelling across Europe to escape poor living conditions. Aakrati felt compelled to help out after hearing tales shared by other medical and dental volunteers and seeing images on the news. She has the full support of her colleagues and patients have kindly been making donations in the form of supplies over the last few weeks.
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