Closure of Fernald Facility will cause problems for thousands of patients
Thousands of patients will be left without valuable dental care when the Fernald Development Center closes at the end of June.
The Waltham Dental Clinic, which is located in the Development Center, currently offers care to thousands of patients that suffer from mental health conditions, autism and brain injuries. The programme has been run by Tufts University for the last 34 years; patients had previously been turned away from general dental practices as a result of their health problems and will now be facing difficulty finding a new dentist when the facility closes in the near future.
The clinic currently treats over 2,000 patients with health problems including brain injuries and autism; when the clinic closes, these patients will be left without the care they need. The Tufts special needs dental programme employs trained specialists who have the necessary skills and personality traits to offer patients the care and attention they need.
The Fernald facility is being closed as a cost-cutting measure and representatives from foundations and charities that support these vulnerable patients have reacted angrily to the announcement. Marilyn Meagher, a representative from the Fernald League for the Retarded, said that thousands of patients will be devastated by the closure of the facility and will struggle to find alternative care. Many of the patients are severely handicapped and require round the clock care; this is a disruption they don’t need.
Representatives from the Health and Human Services departments have stressed that there will be very little disruption to services, as care will be provided at alternative Tufts facilities; however, critics have slammed their remarks, saying the facilities are further away, meaning patients will have to travel further to see a dentist and are much smaller than the Fernald facility.
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