7. Timon's Report - Lack of all the basics

I noticed, as you can see in the picture, a shortage of professional dental protective equipments such as gowns, face shield to protect against blood splashes increases the risk of contamination of the staff in this high HIV/AIDS prevalence country. Face shield are not available even in Uganda where most dental supplies are bought, they are only ordered from Henry Schein in the US.  Meanwhile the ordinary spectacles/glasses have proved to not be effective for use in dental clinics and acts as destructors as they give way every now and then.  

The lack of suction machines is a big challenge for the work performance and constituted another main concern as it makes the work complicated and the splashes of the mouth content more frequent while drilling, causing both saliva and blood droplets entering our eyes. The patient holds the kidney dish while undergoing the procedure.

I believe it’s inconveniencing to them though no complaint has been recorded yet. We also know that many people don’t like to see their own sputum or blood but as patients they are somehow with no option than to do what they are requested to do.

6. Timon's Report - A Bridge Too Far

Timon continues ...

The next patient was for an unbalanced bridge made out of Congo, we tried to level it but he came back the following day unsatisfied because the problem continued but we had no instruments to knock out the bridge and cement again. Such cases are referred to Kampala in Uganda for those who can afford but most people had some great work done long ago but now cannot afford to go back where it was done, they end up having the whole work dismantled without replacement but only to get reed of the problem by removing the tooth because nothing can be done at local level. In some cases it is not complicated but either a limitation of the staff training or a lack of instruments that makes it difficult or impossible to help.

5. Timon's Report - Patients on 'African Time'

Having started with the blessing from the bishop, the day was long but interesting. The patients on appointment came though as said in “African time” to mean they did not keep their time which is normal in Africa. 

We don’t have watches but enough time while in developed countries you people have watches but no time. 

The first one was a lady with chronic periodontitis (gum inflammation with severe bone destruction) we checked and discussed together with the dental team comprising the staff members and other people undergoing training or student on field work. This is one of our goals, to train nurses from health centres to be able to offer emergency oral health care in their areas and be able to refer complicated cases to the clinic for special attention without first tempering with them. The Butembo clinic is a good setting for field work for student to get skills and see the basic equipments which lacks in their school.  

The patient with chronic periodontitis being discussed.

 Photo by Ringo. From left to right: Timon moderating the discussion while treating the patient, second is Mr Hangi a student in the dental school having his field work at the clinic, seating is Mrs Charlotte the chair side assistant, in white vest Mr Kyeya a nurse undergoing a training, and lastly Mr Doudou a dental assistant working with Ringo at the clinic as part time staff as he’s also studying. As final decision we gave a prescription and recommended routine cleaning (scaling and polish) every six month or at least once a year in consideration.

4. Timon's Report - Breakfast with Bishop Ise-somo

The second day was Monday the 4th of March 2013, as usual all the day activities starts with a morning devotion for the staff. We kindly asked the Chaplin to give us the opportunity of sharing the word of God.  We are grateful that we got such opportunity for ministering to various people the whole week while in CDSI mission.

After the morning devotion, we headed together with Ringo to Bishop Isesomo’s home to share our work plan and take an appointment for meeting him in the office to discuss the CDSI business officially. 

We got a warm welcome by the Bishop’s wife and were honoured as he demonstrated his servant leadership skills by serving us himself the breakfast with other visitors who were there that morning. 

It was such a joy of meeting again after the struggles we had together of getting the Australian visa in Nairobi. By then we were still very much disappointed and wondering about what was going on and what was coming next, but we thank God that before the week ended the long-awaited visa was finally granted, wow! What a surprise like a thunder?

We are so grateful to all those who contributed, especially all the partners whom we cannot mention  by name, but all individuals who contributed God bless you for your generosity.
Others intervened in one or another way, and those who prayed we are grateful.

Organizations like Springwood Rotary club we thank you very much for your generous contribution though the delay of the visa has caused total disruption of the previous plan we are hoping for a new successful one in the nearest future.

To God be the glory.

3. Timon's Report - Ringo's Profile & Project

Timon writes ...

I arrived in Butenbo from Kampala, on 3^rd March in the afternoon and we had our first meeting in the evening with Ringo Paluku the head of the dental department in the North Kivu Diocese to discuss the working plan for the week we were going to spend together.  He gave me his priorities and I shared mine, so we came up with common plan for the week, which made everything easier.

Ringo

Short description of  Mr Ringo Paluku Wanzirendi.

Ringo is a qualified Nurse heading the dental services in Butembo, but has no qualification in Dentistry. He’s married to Anto Wanzirendi, they are blessed with 7 children. 

It all began before he went for the 4 years nursing school, he was a personal friend to Graham Toulmin and mine as well, so we used to travel together on dental safaris and he was a very committed gentleman to serve us and in the process he started picking interest in the dental work. 

Finally he learned some skills and became more useful for the dental work. For that reason he was taken to work in the dental clinic. 

Having worked with Graham, with me (Timon), and William for a while he knew well how to assist a dentist and the step to perform some most of the procedures. He then decided to go for a nursing school where he qualified as a Nurse. After that he was sent back to work in the dental clinic with me and another dental technician Didi. 

With his humility he continued learning more and more and was very efficient to work even in the absence of a dentist. Time came when I left for Uganda due to the political situation in the country I left him working with Didi, but was the head of the clinic. 

Things did not work well due to many other factors so Ringo left. When Graham visited Congo sometimes back he was very disappointed with the status of the clinic and the working condition characterised by lost instruments, broken down instruments, etc. 

After that visit Ringo was called back to work when Didi decided to leave. Ringo took over the leadership of the dental clinic to date. Being in that position though unqualified as a school trained dentist he has proved to be competent, trustworthy and developmental. 

So if we are proud of the Dental work in Butembo today, he is the man. All the visiting Dentists and students from Sydney University can testify positively for this man’s character, and skills. He’s a humble and teachable person though he loses his English network quite frequently, so he’s still learning and improving with time; those who’ll come again will meet a different Ringo. 

For this reason we are considering to have him qualified in dentistry as soon as we get sponsorship for his dental education. This will be a boost and will ensure sustainability for the dental services in this most populated region of a country with more than 70 million people but with no existing statistics of oral health services distribution, and the ratio of dentist population because the scarcity of personnel and infrastructures...   

CDSI PROJECT:  Sponsorships of Ringo Wanzirendi and Constantin Drumo and 2 other selected candidates to begin A1 Level Training at the Institute (ISTM) at Aru in October.
THE COST:  $2000 eachx4 + travel costs $2000 = $10,000

2. First CDSI Visit to DRC - Timon Thanks Supporters

Timon emailed the CDSI Board this morning with a 26 page report.  Here following are excerpts ...

Dental Safari 2013:
                                                                                                                                                    

We thank all the Congo Dental Support members as well as all our partners in Australia for having made it possible to have this safari done to the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, namely in Butembo where we have the mother clinic, then in Aru and Mahagi where the small clinics are making a difference in the rural Congolese people’s lives by making oral health services accessible and affordable.

1. Congo Dental Support about to take off.

"Am at the Ebb Airport, 
  waiting 4 Cetraca' 
came the text from Timon Grodya,
a Congolese dentist, now based in Kampala, Uganda.

And with those words,  the  newly-formed, Australian-based organisation,
CONGO DENTAL SUPPORT Incorporated,
has been launched.








'Tim' has been appointed the Regional Director of CDSI by the Australian Board of Directors.  His part-time role, shared with his job at Jubilee Dental in central Kampala,  is initially to visit the three Anglican dental clinics in Eastern DRC for training purposes and to work out how we, in Australia, are able to help him develop the dental work there.  Shouldn't be too hard, should it?

At the moment he is at Entebbe Airport and is about to fly on the 17 seater Cetraca plane into the Democratic Republic of Congo to visit the first dental clinic set up in the Anglican Church's Health Service at the large city of   Butembo, North Kivu, by Dr Graham Toulmin  25 years ago.  Then in a week or so he will visit the second Anglican clinic in Aru begun in 2004 and then move on to visit the third clinic begun in 2010.

If you know Timon, or if you have read about him in my earlier  blog dentalsafariafrica.blogspot.com
 and if you would like to support him and enable us to do some great things for dentistry in DRC with him as our representative, you can make a donation to our CONGO DENTAL SUPPORT Inc Bank Account.

Our Australian Bank is Westpac - the bank account details  - 

Account number : 273330 

BSB: 032 837.