Negros,Philippines February2017

DrJohnPearman Thereisaworld–widehealthcrisisoccurring.Itisinsidiousand“fallsbelowtheradar”mostofthetime,butitiscausingmassivehealthproblemsonahugescale.Sugar,eighttimesmoreaddictivethancocaine,iscausingnotonlyproblemsoframpantdecay,butbringinginfection,pain,andlossoffunctiontochildrenandadultsalike,butalsogeneralhealthproblemsonafrighteningscale.Over14daysinFebruaryourteamexaminedandtreatedsomeofthepoorestsections

ofthelargepopulationontheislandofNegros,Philippines. WeassessedandtreatedpatientsinBacolodCityandintheregionofSipalay150kms.westofBacolod.Thecombinationofpoverty,lackofeducationonoralhygieneandpoordiet,coupledwithanoverabundanceofsugar,ishavinga

devastatingeffectontheoralhealthandconsequentlythegeneralhealthofallthecommunitieswetreated,themostevidentbeingshowninthehealthofthechildren.Thedietofallcommunitieswevisitedwasheavilybasedonsugar….Everythingissweet.Thebread,eventhespaghetti.Wewitnessedkidsof5,6and7snackingonsweetenedcoffeecreamerinsachets. TwoAustraliandentists,2Australianphysicians,6nursesandsomeverywillingvolunteerstravelledtoNegrosonaRAWCS(RotaryInternational)inspiredmedical/dentalmission.Themissionwaswellorganizedandweworkedwithlocalphysiciansanddentiststoprovidesomeveryneededtreatmentforseveraldisabledcommunities…..thepoorestofthepoorwasinBacolodand

Sipalay.Foradentistwhohaspracticedfornearly40yearsinouraffluentsocietytoseean8yroldwithbothlowerfirstpermanentmolarsdecayedtogumlevelwithdrainingabscessesisconfrontingtosaytheleast. Patientswereassessedandtriagedbyregisterednursesandsenttothedentistsorphysiciansforfurtherassessmentandtreatment.Allpatientswereassessedforphysicalsuitabilitytotoleratedentalextractionspriortohavingtreatment.Duringthistime600patientswereassessedand200proceededtohavedentalextractions.Initiallywehadhopedtoinstigateapreventivebasedprogramwiththeuseoffissuresealantsinappropriatesituations.Theuseoftopicalfluorideswasalsoconsidered.However,thesepreventivemeasureswerequicklyabandonedwhenthescopeoftheproblemwasrealized.InthepoorercommunitiesofSipalay,childrenof8,9and10routinelypresentedwith

rampantcarieswithmanyteethinurgentneedofremoval.Everyonetreatedwasgivenatoothbrush/toothpastepackwithappropriateoralhealthinstructionanda“brochure”showingbasicoralhygiene.Inall,2,500oralhealthpacksweredistributed.

Intheareaswevisited,manyofthe“homes”didnothavecleanrunningwater.Onevillagewassoincrediblyheartwrenching.ItwasavillagelocatedinMansilinganthatwaspopulatedbypeople,placedinthisvillagebythegovernment,whoweresightaffected,sometotallyblind.Becausethereisnogovernmentsubsidiesforthesepeopletheyareperiodicallygivenabagofrice,thrownoverthefencetokeepthemfromstarving. Inthepoorerareasitbecamemanifestlyevidentthatitisthroughtheschoolsthatthemaximumeffortoforalandgeneralhealtheducationneedstobefocused.LocalPhilippineRotaryClubshaveaddressedtheproblemoframpantcariesinyoungchildrenandhaveprovidedrunningwaterinsomeofthepoorerschools,whichenablestheyoungchildrento,atleast,washtheirhandsandbrushtheirteethwhileatschool.The

provisionofpotablerunningwaterwillhavefarreachingpositiveeffectsontheoralhealthandindeedthegeneralhealthoftheschoolchildren,andthereforetheRotaryClubsinvolvedaretobecommendedfortheirforesightandeffortstoimprovethelivingstandardsoftheseimpoverishedcommunities.

ItisindeedfortunatethatourAustralianRotaryClubs,IllawarraSunriseandGlenhaven,whoprovidedprofessionalandnonprofessionalsupportforthemission,hasaverycloseliaisonwiththeRotaryClubofMetro-Bacolod. ThisverydedicatedlocalRotarygroupprovidedinvaluablelogisticsupport,andprovidedmuchneededlocalknowledge,whichaddedtotheeffectivenessofthe effortsofthemedical/dentalteam. Duringour14dayexpeditionwehadthegreatfortunetohelpmanymanypeople.Belowisanaccountofsomeofourobservations • Allpatientswereverystoicandgratefulforthesmallamountofrelief

afforded. • A“blind”villageof500peoplemanyofwhomhadnotseenadentist

beforeweretreatedmedicallyanddentally.• Thelackoforalhygienewasevenmoreevidenthereinavillageof

70,000.• Routineremovalofinfectedanddecayedrootsbecamethenorm.• Everypatientwasprescribedantibioticsandappropriateanalgesia.• ThesecondweekofthemissionwasinSipalay,150kms.southwestofBacolodCity.Anopenairbasketballstadiumwasthevenuechosenandthe

samesystemwasputintoaction….(TriagebyRN’swherevitalsignsandpresentingsymptomsassessedandthenreferraltophysiciansordentists).

• Lackofcleanpotablewater,lackofbasicsanitationandhygienecombinedwithanoverabundanceofhighsugarcontentdietmadeforsomecatastrophicpresentationstophysiciansanddentists:thiswasparticularlyevidentinthechildren.

• Thelackofanyradiographicaidtodiagnosiscombinedwithnofacilityforsurgicalretrievalofcariousorinfectedrootssometimesmeantanalgesic/antibiotictherapytheonlytreatmentprovided.

• Anythoughtofpreventionthroughplacementoffissuresealantswasabandonedwiththeroutinepresentationofgrosslydecayedandinfectedteeth.

• ThefissuresealantsandfluoridematerialsbroughtfromAustraliawasgiventolocalgovernmentdentistsalongwitha3Mcuringlight.Thisgiftwasgreatlyappreciated.

Iwouldliketothankallwhocontributedtomakethemissionasuccess. WehavebeenpromisedbytheProvenceGovernortheuseofanair-conditioneddentalbus,equippedwith2fullyoperationaldentalchairsforournextplannedtrip. Beatsaplastickitchenchair.

I’min!!!