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 Tanzania
Trip Report - Dr. Jason Ehtessbian - May, 2007:
Sumbawanga Dental Volunteering Info
Dental Clinic
The dental clinic is part of the Sumbawanga Regional Hospital. The dental building stands alone, and has one room for treating patients with two dental chairs. The clinic uses autoclave sterilization for its instruments. The clinic currently has three dentists and two dental assistants on staff (not including ourselves). Usually 5 to 10 patients are seen by the Sumbawanga Regional Hospital’s dental clinic per day. A small fee (about one dollar) is charged to the patient to help pay for gloves, anesthetic, etc. The work day begins at 9:00am am, and the last patient is usually seen before 1:00 pm. The clinic mainly performs extractions; however, there is a portable dental unit which has a functioning high speed hand piece for operative dentistry. Patients may be referred to the Radiology department of the main hospital for views of the entire skull; however PA’s, bitewings, and orthopantomographs are not available. There are three other dental clinics in Sumbawanga, which all treat about the same number of patients as the Sumbawanga Regional Hospital’s dental clinic.
Accommodations
There are three comfortable hotels in Sumbawanga. All three have hot water, private bathrooms/showers, and restaurants. We chose to stay at Mbizi Forest Hotel. The other two hotels are Moravian Conventional Center (about 15 minutes walk from dental clinic), and The Forestway Country Club Hotel (about 45 minutes walk). The Mbizi Forest Hotel is about one hour walk from the clinic. The hospital should provide transportation to and from wherever you choose to stay. The rooms cost 10,000-20,000 Ths per night at Mbizi Forest Hotel (including a breakfast of coffee, tea, and omellette/egg). Prices at hotels are negotiable; we were able to bring the price at Mbizi Forest Hotel down to 10,000 Ths per night (about $7.50 in US dollars).
Sumbawanga
The cit6y of Sumbawanga is pleasant with rolling hills, beautiful mountains, and a refreshingly cool climate. The people are very friendly. The city itself is divided into rural and urban areas, with about 250,000 people in each (total population about 500,000). We saw two internet cafes (there may be more) in Sumbawanga, and an ATM machine is also available. Sumbawanga has a large market with locally grown fruits and vegetables. Clothing, mosquito nets, and a wide variety of random items can be purchased inexpensively at the market. Swahili is spoken as the first language throughout the country; however the medical/dental community was educated in English and speaks it very well. The patients do not speak English, so learning a few words in Swahili will be helpful.
Jason Ehtessbian D.D.S.
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How Do I Apply?
Follow this 3 step process:
1. Create an account and then login to your account. Next Fill out the Online Application.
2. Next, Print/Fill out the Paper form (PDF or DOC) and mail it to us with supporting documents.
3. Upon receipt of your materials, we will process your application, obtain necessary work permits and deploy you to your volunteering site. Filling out the volunteering form is not a guarantee of placement, but we do try to accommodate as many volunteers as possible during the times you request. Please remember you will have to pay your own visa, temporary licensure or other governmental fees necessary. In the mean time, please gain the latest recommended immunizations
US Citizens: Follow CDC Guidelines | UK Citizens: Follow NHS Guidelines | Other Citizens: Follow Local Guidelines
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