Namche Bazaar Dental Clinic

In 1981 Dr Brian Hollander, who worked at the American Dental Clinic in Kathmandu, found that Sherpa children on the Everest trail had four times the degree of dental decay than children off the trekking trail. His dream of a modern dental clinic became a practical possibility when Namche Bazaar received electricity from the hydro plant at Thamo. The building was paid for by the Everest Marathon Fund and the American Himalayan Foundation, Brian installed modern equipment and the clinic opened in February 1991.Nawang Dhoka, a Sherpani from Namche, was trained as a dental therapist in Saskatchewan, Canada, and she graduated in June 1991. Two years later Mingma Nuru Sherpa from Khumjung completed the same course, financed by the Everest Marathon Fund.

To address the problem of preventing dental decay and gum disease, Brian initiated a school dental health programme in 7 Khumbu schools in May 1994 and this is now operating in 11 schools. The programme involves the supervision by teachers of daily oral hygiene procedures, the administration of fluoride to combat decay and coating secondary molars with sealant. There has been a significant reduction in dental decay. Until 1998 this school programme, which cost $2,200 per year, was financed by the Everest Marathon Fund.

The number of patients is gradually increasing but the clinic is far from being financially self-sufficient. The American Himalayan Foundation pays salaries but money is required for building repairs, new and replacement equipment, expendable dental supplies and travel expenses to other villages and Kathmandu.

Since autumn 1998 the Everest Marathon Fund has paid for several building improvements. The treatment rooms have been moved upstairs where a huge skylight and secondary windows have greatly improved the heat and light. This enabled work to be done on the foundations and ground floor which can now be used as a meeting room for teacher training and seminars. The compound walls had to be rebuilt due to yak damage! An electric geyser was installed to provide hot water, solar panels for room heating and a water distiller. The building also required a new roof. To attract more donors and patients, Nawang produced a small leaflet in English and Nepali.

Since 1999 our grants have been spent on further training for Mingma Sherpa. In 1999 he went to the Fiji Medical School for 3 years to train as a dentist. He was exempted from the first two years of the course on the strength of his Canadian training and five years practical experience in Namche. Mingma graduated in 2002 but then had to work for more than 2 years as an internee (unpaid) at the National Dental Hospital in Kathmandu before his qualification was approved by the Nepal Medical Council in November 2005. Future grants will pay for Mingma’s salary at the Namche Dental Clinic.