Donated items also help Canada-based HOPEthiopia-Rwanda more effectively instruct dental students in underdeveloped locales.
Admetec, a leader in designing and manufacturing custom-fitted magnification loupes and LED headlights for dentists, hygienists, surgeons, and veterinarians, has donated dental loupes and headlights to HOPEthiopia-Rwanda, a Canada-based nonprofit NGO that leads medical missions to those two severely underserviced East Africa nations. The donations, lead through North American distribution partner Andau Medical, serve to provide proper magnification and reliable light sources for dentists and surgeons volunteering in locations where operatory settings are inconsistent and electricity unreliable.
Ethiopia and Rwanda struggle with persistent poverty levels, resulting in a substantial percentage of their populations having little to no access to quality medical care – including adequate dental services. For some, the traveling, impromptu clinics created by HOPEthiopia-Rwanda are the only outlet for pain-relieving, health-improving dental work.
In addition to direct patient care, proper dental tools like loupes and headlights also help visiting volunteer dentists teach a new generation of Ethiopian and Rwandan resident dentists. Too often, students at dental schools in underdeveloped nations rely on obsolete or makeshift tools – for example, a common flashlight rather than a proper headlamp. Many students also lack loupes providing the magnified, detailed perspectives necessary for a comprehensive dental education.
“In a region with far too few dentists – for example, Rwanda has less than 100 in a country of more than 13 million people – it’s imperative to not only provide accessible dental care to those in need, but also train more locally-based dentists,” said Danny Katz, Chief Operating Officer for Admetec. “It’s impossible to accomplish this urgent goal without proper tools like loupes and headlights, and we’re proud to stand with HOPEthiopia-Rwanda in these desperately-needed efforts.”
Andau Medical CEO & Founder Sandi Wright adds: “When we heard about the need for these products, we were pleased to step up and assist. Every day, my team supplies Admetec loupes to dentists and hygienists across North America, empowering practitioners do their important work effectively. We had an opportunity to extend these solutions to healthcare practitioners in Africa struggling to help their patients. It feels wonderful knowing, even in one small way, we are changing lives for the better.”
Photo courtesy of Rob Hislop Photography.
