Kathmandu, November 7

More than 500 people have received free dental treatment at a dental camp organised by Seven Summits Foundation in association with New York University College of Dentistry/Henry Schein Cares and The Tibet Fund on the premises of Srongtsen Bhrikuti High School in Bouddha in the last two days.

Foundation President AC Sherpa said the five-day dental will run till November 11 and more than 40 American volunteer dentists as well as medical students will provide free treatment to the visitors.

“The dental clinic is free and open to the public where patients are being treated on first-come, first-served basis,” he said, adding that the camp will operate Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on the school premises. “We have mobilised 30 local volunteers to facilitate the event,” he added.

Team leader Dr Hirsch of NYU has been coordinating the camp, while he along with Dr Rachael Hill and other dentists as well as medical students are taking care of patients visiting the camp.

According to Sherpa, volunteer dentists have offered services, including dental examinations, fluoride varnish, sealants, fillings, extractions, stainless steel crowns and root canal therapy, among others.

Most of the visitors at the camp were children, women and senior citizens. The camp aims to provide dental treatment services to over 2,000 patients, according to Tukti Sherpa, general secretary of the foundation.

Foundation President Sherpa is also Nepal’s Honorary Consul for Seattle in Washington.

Sherpa said SSF has been conducting free dental camp every year since 2013. “It is one of the major social service events for us,” he added.

The volunteers said they received an overwhelming response from the locals at the dental camp.