New denture equipment for Victoria hospital |29 December 2010

A member of the association, Dr Mathias, last week presented the dental polymerisation oven to acting chief dental officer Dr Wix Cupidon in the dental section at the Yellow Roof Building.

This was in the presence of Dr Jost Schoenebeck – another member of the association, who has been working with the Ministry of Health for over 18 years – and other dentists.

Dr Cupidon thanked the association for the equipment, which he said will help to remove pressure on the existing oven.

Dr Mathias said the dental polymerisation oven has cost around €2,500 and is vital equipment for the hospital.

It is now 30 years since the German association started its activities in Seychelles, Dr Schoenebeck said.

Though it was formally registered in 1983, the idea of such volunteer dental work started in 1981 when Dr Wolf Kaiser – along with a small group of German dentists – signed a contract of cooperation with the Seychelles government.

The main objective was to provide primary dental care for the south of Mahe, which had no dental clinics at that time.

A mobile dental clinic, plus truck, was shipped from Germany and stationed for several months in the villages of south Mahe. It then moved to cover several districts including Anse Aux Pins, Baie Lazare and Anse Royale.

The German dentists have usually worked here on three-month terms and have brought their own working materials with them.
Since 1981 more than 60 of them have brought valuable help to the country under the cooperation scheme.