Where are we now

well, we gently trundle forward hopefully inexorably. The Oral Health Convention has come and gone and Margot Hiltz presented at the business meeting, and she did a fine job. Basically it brought the membership up to speed on the project. She spoke well in the few minutes she had to deliver the goods! Well done Margot and thank you very much.

I also had an opportunity to speak at the Presidents dinner and kept the pot boiling on our project. Many people have offerred their support. Thank You.

We have a meeting tonite with Viola Duff a health care worker who has run projects with CIDA and other organisations as far away as China and also in Central and South America. We look forward to hearing what she has to say, as we are the newbies on this one and her direction would be most valuable.

We have talked before about trying to focus our energies and funds such that we can achieve the max benefit, we have to be realistic in what we might achieve, and I hope that Viola can keep our feet on the ground and help us refine some details.

Mr Ken Templeton a lawyer in town here has also stepped up to assist, and he most graciously has offered to take care of the setting up of a Foundation such that we can then accept so much of the financial assistance that had been extended. We should be moving forward on that very shortly.

Mr Peter Winters an accountant who has some experience with charities and their issues has agreed to come onto the board of the Foundation, both Peter and Ken are very knowledgeable and are most welcome.

We are slowly developing our contacts in Haiti and more information is coming in. It seems that the Dental School in Port au Prince is operational and indeed standing after the quake. It graduates about 22 students a year. Our contact Dr Prophete, is Vice Dean and he has been explaining some of the details of health care, in the country.

Apparently there is enormous need not just in the city but also in the rural areas, where we believe there is no dental care at all.

We have asked the dentists at our Convention whether anyone would like to travel to Haiti for one to two weeks to provide care. It is the intention that both myself and Dr Paul Walsh will travel to Haiti some time in the fall when we can meet with some of the people there to try develop the details of our response. Hurricanes permitting. It will likely be an opprtunity to do a bit of dentstry!

There is a clinic which is Church supported near the airport which has three dental chairs, and only one dentist. One of our colleagues from the States goes down every year for a couple of weeks, and does what he can in that time. He has encouraged others to follow suit, and speaks highly of the clinic. We can asist anyone who would like to do likewise.

Actually I am just off the phone from a discussion with Dr David Allison, our own Medial Officer of Health who will be leaving next week for a six week tour of assistance in Haiti. We will keep in touch and look forwrad to his safe return and advice as the summer proceeds. He is part of a response by the Cnadian Red Cross.

Thats all for now.