Health Ministry takes Oral Health Month 2008 launch to Bartica

Nov 05, 2008 News

November has been designated Oral Health Month and to start off a series of activities there was a grand launching over the weekend at the Bartica Hospital. This year the month is being celebrated under the theme “Partnership; the best strategy for oral health”.

A section of the procession during last Saturday’s launching of Oral Health Month 2008 in Bartica.

To kick off the month long celebration, residents of the Bartica community participated in a road march on Saturday before a formal gathering at the Bartica Hospital.
Also participating in the road march was a technical team from the Ministry of Health, Minister within the Ministry Dr. Bheri Ramsaran and students from schools in Bartica.
During the march members of the community and school students were presented with oral health packages.
Meanwhile, during the launching, Regional Health Officer Acting, Ms. Merlene Ferrier thanked the Ministry of Health for selecting that community for the launching of Oral Health Month.
According to Ferrier, the Ministry should be commended for their commitment toward making the launching a success since it was long in the making. She said the two-day dental outreach session which will be held at the Bartica Hospital will be much appreciated by the community. She also commended the Lion Club for their contribution towards the activities, which the community has planned for the rest of the month.
Among the list of activities planned will be an outreach at the Mazaruni Prisons.
Also present at the launching was Dr. Joanes Jean, Principal Dental Officer at the School of Dentistry.
During his remarks he stressed the need for oral health sensitisation. He said that, like every other issue, oral health is equally important and should be given priority as well.
Dr. Jean pointed out that more often than not people overlook oral health while noting that it is not that much important.
He said that residents of Bartica should grasp at the opportunity which is being given to them. Over the next two days, residents in the area will be benefiting from free dental services which would include extractions, cleaning and filling.
He added that more so parents should allow their children to be a part of the outreach since proper oral health can be more beneficial once practised at a very early age.
On the occasion, Minister Ramsaran reiterated the need for proper oral health.
He said the government is doing all it can to ensure proper oral health care services are accessible to all Guyanese.
According to Dr. Ramsaran, soon there will be qualified dentists practising not only centrally, but also in interior locations.
He added that Guyana will soon be putting into the medical field their own certified dentists.
In the meantime, outreach programmes are being planned for all the other administrative regions. To coincide with activities there will be a three-day fair in Woolford Avenue from November 11.