Health minister discusses plans to promote dental health care in Sierra Leone

Freetown, March  (SLENA) – Experts and Professionals in Dentistry have paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Health and Sanitation to express their desire in exploring the possibility for the training of Dental Therapist in dental care.

Briefing the minister about their mission at her Youyi Building office in Freetown, Director and Leader in Dental Supplies, Quayle Dental, Andrew Quayle recalled some of the problems identified in Oral Health in 2006 at a meeting held on Health Policy for Sierra Leone, and reiterated the need for a training programme that would address key challenges identified to address the brain drain in dental care.

He said with more than 30 years experience, they are actively involved in countries in the Middle East, South East Asia and Africa, providing solutions to everyday problems which occur in the dental surgery and laboratory.

Mr. Quayle further explained that they work in close collaboration with the World Health Organization, Health Ministries, Dental Schools and other Oral Health Teaching Establishments, NGOs and Dentists and Technicians in the private sector.

He spoke on other key issues which included the cost implication, commitment and dedication to the cause of the Oral Health Policy, and the training component.

Oral Surgeon, Smiling World.org institution, Madam Raffaella Gabassi, expressed the need for Sierra Leoneans to fill the gap of foreign experts with an exit strategy.

She said 75 percent of dental cases cured or leading to deaths are from the rural areas and reiterated their organization’s commitment to work in concert with the ministry to meet the challenges ahead.

Responding, Health and Sanitation Minister, Miatta Kargbo described the initiative as great and informed her guests that she would use her good  offices to get the professionals in her ministry to chart the way forward in achieving the desired goal.

She expressed the need to involve the Directorates of Training, Hospitals and Laboratory Services, Office of the Chief Medical Officer and other key partners with a view to working as a team in seeking the best option within the frame work of accountability and sustainability.

Madam Miatta noted that with the engagement with parties involved, the Concept Paper and proposal put forward would yield dividend for the expected outcomes, thereby meeting the challenge for a positive training and the implementation of an Oral Health Policy for Sierra Leone.

Accompanied the team were the British High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Mr. Eddie Turay and the Chief Dental Officer, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Don Davies.

JAK/KK/MOHS/SLENA

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