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Many workers often forego necessary dental care, citing lack of dental insurance coverage as one of the reasons. But there is a hospital in Ajman that gives free basic dental treatment, and at the same time provides students hands-on training on dental medicine.
No appointment is needed; the only requirement is to present a labour card and workers can go to Thumbay Dental Hospital in Al Jurf, Ajman between 9am and 9pm from Monday to Friday to avail of free quality dental services, including full-mouth oral screenings, diagnostic X-rays, scaling and polishing, fillings, root canal treatments, simple extractions, and the provision of fixed and removable dentures.
The initiative has been ongoing since April 2018 and Thumbay Dental Hospital has already served over 23,000 workers from Ajman and neighbouring emirates in the past five years.
Dr. Danavanthi Bangera, medical director of Thumbay Dental Hospital, explained the motive behind the programme. He told Khaleej Times: “Blue-collared workers often forego necessary dental care, including doctor appointments and screenings, due to lack of adequate dental insurance coverage. At Thumbay Dental Hospital, we firmly believe that everyone deserves access to high-quality dental care, regardless of their financial situation.”
The free dental services also benefit dental students and interns at Gulf Medical University's (GMU) College of Dentistry. “Our students get invaluable clinical training and practical experience in managing dental conditions,” noted Dr. Bangera, adding: “They are committed to providing excellent services under the direct supervision of our experienced faculty members.”
Baiza Kaminzada, 23-year old Turkish expatriate and dental intern at the GMU, said: “My six-year journey of learning and education has been filled with meticulous dental training provided by the experienced faculty at GMU. The exposure to diverse cases throughout my education has been invaluable. It has provided me with the opportunity to cater to a wide range of patients and their unique needs.”
“The initiative has not only been helpful in providing valuable hands-on training opportunities for our students, but they also have a profound impact on the well-being of the community we serve. We are shaping our students into compassionate dental professionals who understand the importance of giving back,” added Prof. Hesham Marei, dean of College of Dentistry at GMU.
Hundreds of workers avail of the free dental services every week and one of them is Mohammed Akram, a construction worker residing in Sharjah. He told Khaleej Times he was suffering from toothache for a long time but was always hesitant to see a dentist.
“Thankfully a colleague of mine told me to go to Ajman and I took a day off from my work to visit Thumbay Dental Hospital. An intern attended to me and another dentist did the root canal treatment,’ he added.
Akram continued: “I thank GMU and Thumbay Dental Hospital for the free dental services and I hope they continue to serve more workers like me for free.”
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