Lahore: The department of Community and Preventive Dentistry, University College Dentistry, The University of Lahore arranged a Dental and Eye camp in collaboration with Colgate-Palmolive. The administration of the Bata Factory, Multan Road made sure to facilitate the organizers and health care providers in every possible way.
The dental team comprised of faculty members from the department of Community and Preventive Dentistry, House Officers from University Dental Hospital and Second Year BDS Students from UCMD. The Dental team was also joined by the ophthalmology team consisting of lead optometrists from University of Lahore Teaching Hospital. Dr Huria Arooj, Nutritionist, has also participated in the camp and provided her expert opinion on the nutritional needs and deficits in diet of the participants.
The factory lies in the outskirts of Lahore and most of the workers reside in the nearby areas that are distant from the main city and do not possess proper dental services or ophthalmology services. This camp was an opportunity for most of those workers to discuss their problems, get advice about their treatment and better their oral hygiene. The dental and ophthalmology camps were setup in the conference room and waiting rooms respectively. As the teams settled in, the workers started to come in. They were divided into several batches for ease of the members of the camp teams.
The staff members of the factory included the higher management of the factory, the administrative staff, the technical staff members, the general staff of the factory and most of the bulk of the participants were the laborers and workers of the factory involved in the manufacture of the shoes. They came up to the doctors and had their oral cavities inspected. They were then informed by the dentists regarding their current oral problems and how to treat and manage them. They were also encouraged to ask any questions that they might have regarding their oral care. Oral hygiene instructions were also given to the participants of the camp along with a small gift, courtesy of Colgate-Palmolive. The swift management by the organizers from UCMD and efficient work from the dentists made it possible for all the employees working in the factory to be checked.
The administration of the factory invited the members of both the teams on a tour of the factory and showed them the process of manufacture of the shoes in the factory. It was a new and fun experience especially for the second-year students. This was followed by lunch provided in the mess hall of the factory. The team members then made sure that the last of the workers of the factory were also examined wo could not report to the camp earlier before leaving for their respective institutes.
The worthy principal of University College of Dentistry, Prof Dr Riaz Ahmad Warraich, lauded the initiative taken by the department of Community and Preventive Dentistry, appreciated Dr Arooj ul Hassan, for coordinating and supervising the camp and also urged the students to be as always be as helpful to the community as much as possible.
