Singaporean Dental team ends successful tour

The SAF dental team in the newly commissioned Dental Clinic with local dentist Dr Nasir Ahmed.

20 August 2007

The Singaporean Armed Forces dental team, who have been at Kiwi Base Bamyan, Afghanistan for the last three months, recently finished their deployment and headed home. The team’s mission was to set up a dental clinic with equipment provided by the Singaporean government, deliver dental services from the clinic while they were here, and train local staff to continue dental services after their departure.

Commanding Officer of the team, Lt Col Lee, said they had achieved more than they set out to.  The team successfully set up and equipped a dental clinic in the Bamyan Hospital, and together with local dentist Dr Nasir Ahmed, treated over 800 patients. They conducted school and village visits giving dental hygiene lessons and distributing dental packs.

Dental Officers Major Lee Che Wee and Maj Bernard Tan noticed myriad gum and tooth problems in Bamyan.  “Despite a low sugar diet the lack of tooth brushing and proper toothpaste has resulted in a lot of tooth decay. Locals who do clean their teeth often use salt  - which erodes the enamel and damages the teeth”, Major Lee said.

The Singaporean team were initially unsure if they would be able to treat female patients. They were prepared to welcome female patients into the clinic accompanied by their husbands or male relatives but were pleasantly surprised to find women were happy to be treated unaccompanied, with even veil wearing patients happy to remove their veils for treatment.

The Singaporean government is considering options for future dental support to Bamyan possibly including volunteer civilian dentists. 

The Singaporeans enjoyed the hospitality of Kiwi Base.  “The Kiwis were really friendly, hospitable and down to earth,” said Lt Col Lee.  “Our government made a wise choice for us to deploy with the New Zealanders after positive experiences working together in East Timor”, he said.  They accompanied Kiwis to schools, villages and orphanages to distribute humanitarian aid and dental packs together.

The smiles of the local children and the welcoming hand on the heart gesture that accompanies each “Salam alekum” (greeting), are among special memories the team will take away with them.  For dentist Major Lee, the woman whose smile and confidence he restored with the repair of her chipped front tooth was particularly memorable.

With the confidence of a job well done the dental team returned to Singapore having have handed over to a team of engineers who will continue the contribution of the Singaporean Armed Forces.  They will be supervising a number of construction and repair projects for the remainder of the summer construction season.

Ends