Ghana Dental Outreach 2011 – a huge success!

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Flying into Accra I couldn’t wait to get to the picturesque Lake Bosumtwi where this year’s Ghana Dental Outeach was located. It had been three months since I had met Mr Addei, Afrik and the other village leaders for the first time to discuss the possibility of organizing an outreach project based out of their village.

IMG 3032 150x150 Ghana Dental Outreach 2011 – a huge success!

The Ghana team

Arriving at the Bay View Lodge accommodation, set right on the lakeside, I met the 10 adventurous student dentists. They were all in high spirits and eager to start the treatment the following day having spent the first day visiting the partnership hospital in Kumasi and meeting the staff team and clinical supervisors. They had also had their first meeting with the primary school children they would be treating at the Adwafo RC Primary. All of the students were surpised by the warmth of the welcome they received from both teachers and students.

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Dental Outreach in Ghana – the plan for 2010

Monday, June 7th, 2010

By the time you will be reading this piece I will have finished with the dental outreach setup, but this piece will introduce you to my journey in the development of the 2010 project.

The first question…..who can we work with?

2007 Vishal and Grant 236 150x150 Dental Outreach in Ghana – the plan for 2010

The Ashanti region suffers from some of the worst dental care in Ghana

Every year we work with a partner to deliver the dental project – it is important as we must have experienced professionals to supervise and teach the students. We can also rely on their extensive knowledge of dentistry in Ghana  and the problems that rural villagers face. This year, after a long discussion with dental health professionals here and also the team in the UK, we decided to approach Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital(KATH), the regional hospital that serves the whole of Ashanti region. I began the project research with a trip to Kumasi to meet our key contact, Dr. Karikari (the immediate former Chief Executive of the Hospital). I have to say that journeying through the countryside for four hours from Takoradi to Kumasi went very quickly – it was more of brainstorming moment than a scenic drive as there was SO much to think about!

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