In May ’23 I came out to Mandritsara to set up a new dental surgery in the hospital. There had been one a few years ago, staffed by a Malagsy dentist, but she had left and no one had replaced her. I knew there was a need back in 2018 when Matt Sherratt asked me to come and train him as an emergency dentist (in a week!) and we set up a pop-up dental clinic and saw HVMM staff. Later Matt moved on, but I was left with a love for the project, it’s ethos and how it revealed Christ’s love for the region. And, to cut a long story short, Julian and I came to help last year.
I was given one of the two old operating theatres – the one reserved for minor operations or dirty/infected cases. These have now been superseded by the new surgical block. It was pretty dreary and filled with redundant equipment. Working alongside the maintenance team I set to refurbishing it. New paint, paintings, electrics, repositioned sink, work surfaces, towel rails and cupboards followed and the dental equipment arrived by container in a huge crate in June. Dentaid supplied an entire dental surgery in a box.
Once all the equipment was set up, sterilised and working I needed some assistants and Juna and Colette were asked to help me. We did basic dental assistant training in French (they were very long suffering!) and began trying it all out on hospital staff. I worked out a budget and a pricing system and by late November we were all set to go and even had an opening party planned!
In the meantime, we were waiting for my Dental Registration to come through. The Order of Dentists for Madagascar (which sounds like something from Harry Potter) had had my documents since June. Then we heard they were refusing to register me on the grounds that I am not a Malagasy. This was a huge and unexpected blow, both very confusing and not something anyone had foreseen as a problem. The hospital board were meeting that week (from Tana) and were very supportive. As a result, I went with a small contingent to the Ministry of Health in Tana to ask for help in early December.
And so, we wait and pray and hope. And, in the meantime, people have pain, infection and even die. A 22 yr old woman is currently on the high dependency unit, seriously ill with a dental abscess that has run out of control.
A local friend gave me this verse:
9 I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:9-10
Interestingly, it was also the verse preached on at our farewell service. I didn’t think I had too much to fear back then, but possibly not being allowed to do what you are trained to do (and also what is really needed) is a bit scary! It is dismaying to look at a surgery and trained assistants and wonder if they will ever be used. But God is greater than the Ministry of Health and the Order of Dentists. He can change hearts. But even more importantly I can trust Him. He can strengthen me and help me whatever happens next. And I have no idea of knowing what that will be or when I will know.
Praise God that the surgery is set up and ready for action and also for Colette and Juna learning so well how to run it and being loving assistants who pray with patients and give them oral health advice.
Pray for Debbie as she waits. Pray that she might get the balance between hope and realism, trusting God in all things and using her time well. Pray that her extra online language learning would help her. And pray that friendships would deepen.
Pray for the situation. That the Minister of Health would be made aware of the situation and be minded to take up Debbie’s case with the head of the Order of Dental Surgeon’s and that they will make Debbie an exception to the rule.