November 2008

THE KIKUYU HOSPITAL DENTAL CLINIC

The Kikuyu Hospital Dental Clinic in Nairobi, a new and modern facility, supported by the ICD USA Section has gone from dream to reality. The clinic provides comprehensive and preventive dental services to the public with an emphasis on the poorest segments of society reports ICD Fellow, Dr. Bill Hunter, a pediatric dentist from Fargo, North Dakota.

As you may have heard in media reports several months ago there had been great turmoil in Africa and especially in Kenya. But the situation there has stabilized since the presidential election. The violence had resulted in the death of over a thousand people and it tarnished Kenya's reputation as one of Africa's most stable countries. We are happy to tell you that the clinic building was unharmed and continued to provide medical and dental care for the approximately half million individuals who had previously never received such medical attention.

Kenyan children orphaned by aids attend this school, while the relatives who raise them are at work. It is one of many outreach facilities to be helped by the new dental clinic. Photo by Dr. William A. Hunter

Just think - there are 7000 children within walking distance of the clinic, and one of Kenya's 700 dentists, Dr. Nelson Malenya, has been hired to run the dental department. Two other dentists have been hired on a part-time basis to assist him. Fellows of the ICD have now helped to furnish five operatories. There is room for only one more.

The University of Nairobi Dental School wants to use this facility as a graduate training facility and make the clinic a pediatric dental center. Through the ICD you are making a real difference in Kenya and may soon be having an impact on the pediatric dental training of dental students from surrounding countries and the United States.

Students from the University of Michigan visited the clinic last summer and had a great time. The final container with the remaining equipment was to arrive in Kenya around November 15. Once everything is installed Dr. Bill Hunter tells us that there will be eight fully-equipped treatment rooms.

Dr. Hunter also reports that a "Patient Subsidy Fund" has been developed to help provide more services for the poorest segments of society. The North Dakota ICD donated $2000 to the fund and they are working on other fund-raising options. For more information on how you, or your District, can help Kikuyu, contact Dr. Hunter at whunter42@aol.com or the ICD Central Office at reg-sg@icd.org.

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