Rotary Club of Ballarat West donates a Mobile Dental Clinic to Fiji
The Rotary club of Ballarat West has joined with the Rotary club of Suva Peninsula Sunset to donate a fully equipped mobile dental caravan to the Fiji National University Department of Oral Health. This Faculty trains the majority of dental professionals working in the Pacific Islands including Dental Therapists, Dental Hygienists and Dental Prosthetists as well as dentists.
The Caravan is fully air-conditioned, has a built in compressor, central suction system, X-ray unit, strip lighting, waiting room, fully lockable cabinetry, refrigerator, autoclaves, 3 sinks, 3 doors with retractable steps and handrails, and a portable field unit with compressor for use on remote islands in Fiji. The unit has been converted to work on to single phase power.
In addition to the normal instrumentation, the inside of the caravan was packed with dental, orthopaedic and gastroenterology donations from the District 9780 RAWCS Donations in Kind depot in Geelong. The University Oral Health department estimated the value of the dental caravan and its contents in this RAWCS project to be $350,000
The donation was welcomed by the University and the Fijian Ministry of Health at a special Presentation Ceremony with food and dancing performed by dental students from several Pacific Island nations. Rotary was represented at the Handover by Dr David Goldsmith from RC Ballarat West and RC Geelong Rotarian Ron Smith.
The ceremony also launched the Bachelor of Oral Health degree course which will train Dental Therapists and Hygienists to Dental degree standard. This mobile dental clinic will be used for part of their training as well as to provide patients with a much needed free dental service in the more remote regions of Viti Levu.
At present dental services in these areas are limited and are only able to be provided by using very basic portable equipment in school classrooms. This is very unsatisfactory for many reasons such as the limited treatments possible, difficulty with hygiene and sterilising as well as being disruptive to the school classroom.
At FNU 50% of the dental course content is Community Dentistry wit
h staff and students going out from the University to do studies, health education a
s well as clinical treatments so this unit will be especially valuable and offer new opportunities to people in rural areas of Fiji.
Funding for the transportation was provided by the Rotary clubs of Suva Peninsula Sunset, Geelong and Highton
The dental caravan is currently being professionally painted and decorated by the University
David Goldsmith
Rotary Club of Ballarat West
Tel 03 5331 2755 / Mobile 0488 688 700
Email dgold@netconnect.com.au