Hajiya Maryam Abubakar, Managing Director of Fatimah Clinic and Maternity, Kaduna, and founder, Women for Women Initiative, recently offered free dental and medical services to about 100 drug addicts and mentally challenged persons at the Nigga Rehabilitation Centre in Kaduna, to mark this year’s World Oral Health Day (WOHD).
The medical services, which were carried out by a team of medical experts, comprising doctors, dentists and other health professionals, on 23 March 2019, included scaling, polishing, filling and removal of decayed teeth.
Speaking on the event, Abubakar said the reason why she and her team decided to take the medical mission to a rehabilitation centre is because the patients usually do not have the privilege to go out at will.
She added that oral diseases, such as tooth decay and gum disease, are widespread, yet preventable through proper self-care, regular dental check-ups and managing risk factors.
While encouraging the patients, the Fatimah Clinic and Maternity founder appealed to them to take good care of their health in order to live healthy and long.
“Also when you are physically fit and free to go home, you should not go back to the lifestyle that brought you to be at the rehabilitation centre,” Abubakar said.
She further counseled oral health professionals on the important role they have to play in addressing the burden of oral diseases by helping their communities to be protected against all forms of diseases associated with the teeth and the general mouth surrounding.
On his part, the founder of the rehabilitation centre, Malam Lawal Maduru, thanked Hajiya Abubakar and the Women for Women Initiative for the gesture, saying that marking the World Oral Day is very important because it emphasises the need to give attention to dental hygiene.
