COAF AND ADSC COMPLETE DENTAL SCREENING AND TREATMENT OF CHILDREN IN ARMAVIR

ARMENPRESS
Jun 26, 2007

ARMAVIR, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS: The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF)
continues to upgrade and expand the healthcare component of its
Comprehensive Rural Development Program in the Model Cluster of six
villages of the Armenian province of Armavir. In close partnership
with COAF for more than three consecutive years, the Armenian Dental
Society of California (ADSC) recently completed dental screening
and treatment in the communities of Dalarik, Lernagog, Myasnikyan
and Shenik. Implemented on a cost-share basis, the project continues
to be very productive in terms of preventive care and considerable
number of beneficiaries.

An official from COAF told Armenpress that this year, 195
schoolchildren from the Model Cluster villages benefited from this
partnered initiative. In a series of scheduled stops on the school
grounds of each of the mentioned communities, these children were
diagnosed and treated in the mobile dental clinic. The availability of
two experienced dentists, a qualified nurse and up-to-date equipment
and medicine on board of the ADSC mobile clinic enabled quick action
and high-quality performance. A total of 88 boys and 107 girls were
provided with needed screening and treatment.

In the words of Tigranuhi Harutyunyan, a thirteen-year-old student
from Dalarik, "… the doctor’s friendly and caring attitude changed
my discomfort with dentists", she said with a smile.

Another student, Aram Ghazaryan from Lernagog, expressed his
delight when he spoke about his visit with the doctor. "Thanks to
the interesting stories the doctor was telling during the screening
and treatment, I hardly noticed how quickly two hours flew by".

Aside from the children’s satisfaction, the dentists’ professionalism
and caring attitude also impressed their parents. They all unanimously
stated that not a single child left the clinic unhappy. "We are so
grateful to COAF for initiating these important visits, and we are also
very impressed with dentists who brought back smiles to our children,"
said Vardges Azizyan, one of the parents from Myasnikyan. "It is so
convenient to have the dentists come to our village, so we do not have
to take our children elsewhere. We truly appreciate this project and
realize how it makes our lives much easier", he concluded. COAF plans
to continue this partnered program with ADSC.