Chiswick Dentist Returns from Sierra Leone Mission
A dentist has returned to Chiswick after spending two weeks treating some of the world’s poorest people in Sierra Leone.
Raffaella Gabassi, from White Dental and Cosmetic Rooms, spent two weeks providing much-needed dental care to thousands of people in Sierra Leone. During the first week, Raffaella worked at the Connaught Hospital, which provided a stark contrast to the NHS facilities we are used to in the UK. The hospital was very crowded, there was little or no attention paid to infection control and nurses and doctors had access to limited resources.
Raffaella also took part in a radio interview during her trip and took the time to talk to people about oral health and advised them on home remedies that can be used for tooth pain. In Sierra Leone public awareness of oral hygiene and oral health issues is very low and some people go to extreme lengths to deal with pain, with pouring battery acid into a cavity to try and kill the tooth just one of the ‘remedies’ used by desperate people.
Raffaella joined forces with four young adults from an organisation called Teethsavers to travel to schools in communities outside Freetown. The team managed to screen and treat 1,500 children and adults over a two week period.
Raffaella also visited the Craig Bellamy Academy, which was set up by Liverpool footballer, Craig Bellamy to train young footballers so that they can get professional contracts or scholarships to play abroad and then bring back valuable skills.
Raffaella said that the trip was very challenging but hugely rewarding and thanked all her patients for their generous donations and support.
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Now that Raffaella is aware of the problems, i pray that she continues with the spirit of urging her peers to join up to assist the people of my country.