FNU honours dentist by naming dental teaching clinic after him
Awell-regarded Fijian dentist will have the honour of attending the opening ceremony of the teaching Dental Clinic at Fiji National University (FNU) named after him. Dr Jonacani Tuisuva is regarded an icon in the local and regional dental circles having spent almost four decades in the field of dentistry as a practitioner and an educationist.
The 60-year-old, who hails from Balenabelo Village in the Province of NadrogaNavosa is currently the manager of the Remote Oral Health Services in Northern Territory, Australia. He was the head of the School of Dentistry at the then Fiji School of Medicine (FSM) for eight years from 1998 to 2006.
The newly-renovated Tuisuva Dental Teaching Clinic is located at FNU’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (CMNHS) Pasifika Campus. The facility will be opened today.
College dean Dr William May said the University acknowledges Dr Tuisuva’s contributions towards Oral Health education and services in Fiji and the region. “We have named the renovated clinic as Tuisuva Dental Teaching Clinic to show our appreciation to Dr Tuisuva’s numerous contributions to oral health in Fiji and the region in terms of training and promotion of oral health services,” said Dr May.
“Under his leadership, the Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme was introduced with the first cohort enrolling in 1993. He has also been instrumental in reviewing the multi-entry and multi exit programmes for dental courses. The multi-entry and exit dental programme was unique for the region as it was socially responsive for the Pacific Island Countries (PIC) needs.”
The clinic comprised of 12 dental chairs previously, which after renovations has increased to 28 with a stateof-art dental radiography facility.
“Students in Fiji and around the region will now get the opportunity to train at a facility which is on par with the Australia and New Zealand standards,” Dr May added.
The Clinic provides general dental services at minimal cost to members of the public through prior bookings.
The following programmes are offered through the School of Dentistry and Oral Health and currently there are 172 students enrolled in this School:
Diploma in Dental Technology
Bachelor of Dental Surgery
Bachelor of Oral Health Postgraduate Diploma in Oral Surgery
Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health (Dentistry)
Master of Oral Surgery Source: Fiji National University