By Covel Hall, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
RESIDENTS OF Clark's Town, Trelawny, and its surroundings are now benefiting from a range of dental services courtesy of a medical team now visiting from the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in the United States of America.
Team leader, Dr. Matthew R. Cooke, told The Gleaner that an estimated 700 persons will benefit from this three-week visit. He said that during the visit, residents would be provided with a wide range of service such as extraction, filling restoration, cleaning and fluoride treatment.
The group is also conducting a massive educational campaign among schools in the area. According to Dr. Cooke, over the last three to four years, two-thirds of the cases dealt with were paediatric cases. It is no different this time, as the group will take its public education campaign and dental care services to schools in the area such as Clark's Town Primary, Cedric Titus High, Granville All-Age, First Hill and many other schools in Trelawny.
According to Dr. Cooke, a very high decay rate exists in the area. He claimed that living in the sugar belt has a significant bearing on this situation. He cited the lack of education as a contributory factor to the perpetuation of this problem. He, however, noted that the figures have been steadily declining over the years.
Dr. Cooke said that the relations between Trelawny and VCU started in the 1980s when the late Sadie Kendal, a businesswoman of Duncans in the parish, joined forces with medical interests overseas to provide free dental care and education to persons in the area. Since then, the programme has touched many lives in and around the Clark's Town community.
Meanwhile, the word has been spreading about the team and persons from all walks of life are making their appointment.
Vivienne Gray, a former resident of Clark's Town, now residing in Kingston, returned to access the services and she had very favourable comments.
"It was awesome," she said. Gray, who cleaned and extracted some teeth, confessed that the free services received saved her some $15,000.
"I feel good, she said, "because sometimes you can't find it (the money to acquire such services)."
