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Please note that anyone who are interested to join Pemakara as Member/Sponsor should send in the form or email before bank in the local account of MAYBANK.

Report: Dental Charity Trip Nepal 2006

Dr. Sapphire Gan Tsering

Team Leader

On 23^rd March 2006, a team of volunteers consisting of 7 dental surgeons and 1 engineer departed from Singapore to Kathmandu, Nepal for a 10-day dental charity trip. In Kathmandu, the team was joined by 1 Nepalese dental surgeon, 1 Croatian medical doctor, 1 American medical nurse as well as many local volunteers. The planning and coordination for this charity trip only started in mid-December 2005 and the smooth-running of this trip was amazing for such a short planning period. Under the invitation of Ka-Nying Shedrup Ling Monastery and Rangjung Yeshe Shenpen, Dental Charity Trip Nepal 2006 aims to provide free basic dental treatment to the rural villagers who have limited (if any) access to dental treatment; let alone have the financial means to afford it.

The dental camp was held at 3 villages: Shivapuri, Pharping and Vajra Varahi. The team spent 2 days at each of the villages with a rest day in between each village. The aim of the dental team is to provide basic dental treatment acute conditions. Thus, most of the treatment rendered was extractions and simple fillings. A number of minor oral surgeries were also performed.

At the more rural village of Shivapuri, most of the condition seen was generalized severe attrition with associated pain and sensitivity. In Pharping and Vajra Varahi, grossly carious lesions were seen in most cases. The patients were from all walks of life; from 3 year olds to those more than 80 years old and from monks to farmers to orphans. A total of 946 patients were seen in 6 working days. This dental camp was also featured in a number of local newspapers.

Aside from work, the team also managed to explore the local lifestyle during the rest days. Among many things, the team did yoga under the morning sun, sampled delectable local cuisine, watched sunrise over the Himalayas and, of course, shopped and shopped and shopped! The team also managed to visit a typical Newari household thanks to the invitation of the local dental surgeon, Dr Kranti Prajnapati. The warmth and hospitality of the locals touched us all.

We wish to thank His Holiness Phakchok Rinpoche and his family for being given the honour of conducting the dental camp. We also wish to thank Rangjung Yeshe Shenpen and especially Mr. Samten O’Sullivan, the coordinator from Nepal, for the countless hours spent in ensuring the dental camp ran smoothly from the preparation stage up until the end of the trip. Many thanks to the enthusiastic and ever-energetic local volunteers which includes the group of monks and nuns from Ka-Nying Shedrup Ling Monastery, Nagi Gomba, Asura Cave Temple and Palnyingda Zundrel Mindrol Norbuling Monastery.

Special thanks to: Dr Myra Elliot for generously lending us the dental equipment needed, Dr Kaan Sheung Kin for being such a staunch supporter of this trip and Singapore Dental Association for all the help and support in handling the donations. Not forgetting all the generous donors and well wishers who range from large associations to young teenagers. The team truly appreciates each and every contribution without which this trip would not have materialized.

Tashi Delek!

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Report: Dental Charity Trip Nepal 2007

Dr. Sapphire Gan Tsering

Team Leader

The tinge of excitement in the air was unmistakable as the plane touched down in Kathmandu airport on 22^nd March 2007. Under the invitation of Ka-Nying Shedrup Ling Monastery and Ranjung Yeshe Shenpen, the Singapore team of 9 dental surgeons, 1 dental surgery assistant and 1 general volunteer arrived in Nepal for an 11-day dental charity trip. In Nepal, the group was joined by 2 Nepali dental surgeons, 1 Croatian medical doctor, 1 American nurse and many general volunteers from near and far. The aim of the trip was to provide free basic dental treatment to the underprivileged people of Nepal.

The dental camp was held for 2 days in each village: Boudha, Chapagaon and Bungamati.

Simple treatment such as scaling, fillings and extractions were done. A number of minor surgical operations were also performed. Aside from treatment per se, oral hygiene instructions were given as well. The most common oral lesions seen were gross caries, heavy tobacco stains and severe attrition. Patients from all walks of life stepped into the makeshift clinic; from farmers to beggars, from 3 year-olds to 92 year-olds. Approximately 1500 patients were seen over 6 working days, exceeding the estimated number of 1200 patients by far. The dental camp was also visited by the local journalists.

During the rest days, the team broke into groups to pursue their his/her own interests. Some chose to visit the holy land of Lumbhini, others trekked through the natural beauty of Shivapuri Nature Reserve. Most managed to explore the ancient cities of Patan and Bhaktapur. Of course, coming from Singapore, the whole team managed to shop and shop and shop!

The team wishes to thank His Holiness Phakchok Rinpoche, chairman of Ranjung Yeshe Shenpen, for being given the honour and privilege of conducting the dental camp for second year running. We would also like to thank the main coordinators from Nepal Saymola Dechen Paldron, Mr Sampanna Bajracharya and Mr Samten O’Sullivan for their invaluable help and effort in ensuring the entire camp runs smoothly from start until the end. Many thanks to the enthusiastic and ever-energetic local volunteers which includes the group of monks and nuns from Ka-Nying Shedrup Ling Monastery and Nagi Gomba. We were also very touched by the enthusiasm of the local laypeople who spontaneously volunteered to help out at the dental camp. The friendships forged would definitely be treasured.

Special thanks to Singapore Dental Association for all the help in handling the donations. Not forgetting all the generous donors and well wishers who range from large associations to young teenagers. The team truly appreciates each and every contribution without which this trip would not have been possible.

Tashi Delek!

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Report: Dental and Medical Camp Lumbhini 2009

Nicky Glegg

Local Co-ordinator

For two weeks four blue banners hung at the crossroads in the centre of Lumbhini, birthplace of the Buddha, in Southern Nepal close to the Indian border. Their hand-painted lettering read; ' Rangjung Yeshe Shenpen, Free Dental and Medical Camp, 21st - 24th September, at the Korean Temple, Lumbhini '.

Like all hosts we wondered at first if anyone would come to the event we had spent weeks planning and days setting up. We needn't have worried! As the gates opened on 21st September it became clear that the dental and medical services being offered were meeting a real need for people from villages all over the district.

Twelve dentists from Singapore and Malaysia and two from Nepal got down to business at 7.30 am on one side of the huge verandah, in front of rooms holding suitcases of supplies and trailing wires to their drills. The three medical doctors and one nurse on the team from Singapore and Malaysia set up consulting tables and a pharmacy under the eaves on the verandah opposite.

Thirty five volunteers from Kathmandu and Lumbhini held heads, hands and instruments, sterilised equipment, ferried patients back and forth, registered details, calmed nerves, and held back the crowds. Interpreters relayed information from local dialects into Nepali then into English and back, over and over again. That first day a comfortable 250 people arrived on foot for dental treatment and 350 to see the doctors.

Day two began with arrivals at six am. Men, women and children waited in the hot humid compound among the puddles from the downpour of the day before. Slowly the orderly lines were swelled with new arrivals hoping for a place in the shade of the registration hut or a seat on a bench on the wide verandahs, ever closer to the treatment areas. As more and more people arrived so did the local police to help with the good natured but firm crowd control.

Locals being served water while waiting to be registered for treatment

Monks dispensed water and biscuits tirelessly through out the day. I watched one small boy, who had been waiting six hours to see a doctor for a foot wound, carefully pocket his biscuits (despite the longing look he gave as he put them away) to share with his younger brother waiting by the gate. We finished before sunset with everyone who had queued being seen in the end and all those who had been helping exhausted but exhilarated. By lunchtime on day four the dentists had seen nearly a thousand hundred people for fillings and extractions and handed out hundreds of toothbrushes with advice on their use – and balloons! Many of our patients had not seen a dentist before - which may have accounted for the need to constantly move on bystanders from the entertainment of watching an extraction.

The medical doctors saw an amazing two and a half thousand patients from babies of a month old to nonagenarians. There was a great deal of joint and back pain, digestive problems, skin complaints and infections. Four serious complaints were referred to the hospital in Bhaihawara. Although the heat was intense, good humour remained intact – the result we suspect of the excellent food prepared three times a day by our monk-cooks and supplemented with ample and wonderful milk tea and biscuits!

Our very grateful thanks go all those people who made the camp a success, every one of them a vital part of the team. All our medicines were donated by the Nepali Society (NRN Singapore). The Lumbhini Development Trust and the local Lumbhini District police found us places to live and work. The Korean Temple hosted us with patience, allowing us to colonise vast areas for the event.

Doctors, dentists and nurses took a week from their practices or gave up precious annual leave to join the camp. Overseas volunteers paid for their airfares and accommodation, as well as raising contributions from generous donors in Singapore and Malaysia to support their work here. Monks, nuns and lay volunteers gave their time and effort with generosity.
All in all everyone worked harmoniously together to make a reality of our motto 'compassion into action'.

A patient receiving dental treatment

A Muslim lady and her child receiving medical consultation

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Report: Dental and Medical Camp Depur 2011

Nicky Glegg

Local Co-ordinator

Sixth Annual Dental & Medical Camp

On November 20th 2011, a team of twenty doctors and dentists from Singapore, Malaysia as well as three doctors from Nepal, loaded into six jeeps for the final 45 minute journey high up into the hills above Pokhara. They were returning to Depur village, the site of an earlier dental camp held in 2008. The steep winding unpaved roads gave way to spectacular views of Machupucchre and the Anapururna mountain ranges, with fold upon fold of valleys falling away down to the river far, far below. 

The steep but beautiful terrain accounts for the prevalence of knee pain among the 1,050 patients that were seen by the medical team, all within three days time. Gastric problems, skin and eye infections, and back pain were all common. A large hernia was identified in one patient and along with two others we arranged for them to attend hospitals in Kathmandu which offer free surgery.

Interestingly, the blood pressure and diabetes screening revealed little incidence in this active yet simple community. Patients were reassured to hear that they didn’t suffer from the same ailments as their city dwelling relatives!

The pharmacy was staffed by two of our volunteer Nepali nurses and supported by a team of twenty people. They were kept busy all day long distributing free medicines, vitamins, and anti-worm medicine.  At the same time, the dentists built up a fine collection of fillings and pulled teeth from the 400 plus patients that passed through their hands. The lines were long but all were good natured!

When all was said and done the team came back to Kathmandu, met with both Chokling Rinpoche and Phakchok Rinpoche, and had a well-deserved dinner. They discussed their experiences of treating patients here in Nepal and also asked inquisitive questions about Buddhist views. All felt inspired to continue working together in future years with the

same intention to bring people the security that their health and wellbeing is cared for by people with the means to help.

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