‘Voluntourism’ is alive and well
VOLUNTEER TOURISM was on show in the parish of Hanover over the last three weeks via a dental clinic, which was staged by the Great Shapes International Medical Mission in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Lucea and the Sandals Foundation.
Fifty ‘voluntourists’ from the United States provided dental services free of cost to approximately 1,000 persons at the annual clinic held at the Hanover Parish Church Hall in Lucea. Services rendered included cleaning, filling, and extractions.
Great Shape volunteer and dental professor Dr Ronald Guttu told Hospitality Jamaica that over the eight years that he has been volunteering with the mission, he has seen a decline in the number of dental cavities, which he attributed to the organisation’s school programme.
“The year 2003 was the first year Great Shapes came to Hanover, and since then, the programme has increased every year. We are here just to supplement the publichealth system that is already in place. The dental-health programme (in Jamaica) is overwhelmed by the numbers and that is due to a funding issue and not having enough providers,” Guttu said.
President of the Rotary Club of Lucea, Winfield Murray, told Hospitality Jamaica that the objectives of the clinic was to provide services to between 50 and 60 persons per day from across Hanover, a parish that is served by only one dentist.
“The expression from the people is that they appreciate it greatly,” Murray said, adding that another joint project featuring the two organisations is in the making.
“The idea is to convert a 30-seater bus into a clinic, which can take the dental service into the interior of the country to schools and communities,” he said.