By Prince J Musa in Kenema
Residents of Kenema city in the Eastern Region of the country have expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of dental care in the district since the retirement of one Dr. Dimoh five years ago. Some of those interviewed told Politico that they are left with option but to the nearby city of Bo government when they need dental care.
Fatmata Karama said: “I went to the hospital in the hope that a doctor would help to remove the bad tooth but unfortunately, I was told there is no doctor to get the operation done. I suffered a lot of pain until I was urgently taken to the Bo government hospital.”
Kemoh Amara Sattie, husband to another patient said when his wife “suddenly experienced toothache, it became so severe that it resulted in a swollen head with phlegm dripping from her mouth. We had to rush to Bo for an emergency operation…it is quite unfortunate that a referral hospital in a regional headquarter city is not able to provide dental services.”
Patrick Adu, a civil society activist referred to the absence of a dentist at the government hospital in Kenema as an “old problem” and urged the ministry of health to “think about fixing the problem in Kenema.”
Dr. Ibrahim Kapuwa, Medical Superintendent of the Kenema government hospital said he was not happy to see patients travelling to Bo all the time. He was confident that under the leadership of Dr. Austin Demby, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation will ensure that a dental specialist is assigned to Kenema.
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