At HVO we often discuss the importance of partnership. Without the support of our partners, including dedicated on-site personnel at each of our project sites across the globe, we would be unable to fulfill our mission to improve the availability and quality of health care through education.
One such partner is Dashrath Kafle, BDS, MDS. Dr. Kafle is an associate professor at Dhulikhel Hospital Dental School in Kathmandu, Nepal. Since joining the hospital staff in 2005, Dr. Kafle has helped grow the program from a single unit to a dental school and university hospital. He also helped expand access to dental and orthodontic care in 22 satellite clinics run by Dhulikhel Hospital. By expanding access to oral health care, Dr. Kafle is helping local Nepalese communities “act on mouth health,” in accordance with the 2019 World Oral Health Day campaign.
Last April, we recognized Dr. Kafle’s extraordinary contributions – both to the field of oral health care, and to our oral health training project in partnership with Dhulikhel Hospital Dental School – by selecting him as a 2018 Golden Apple Award honoree. In turn, Dr. Kafle is a staunch advocate for HVO’s impact on the lives of the students he trains. In a 2018 report summarizing the impact of the project he wrote:
“2018 was a wonderful year for our institute. We had wonderful volunteers who helped us in so many ways including introduction of new treatment modalities, creating opportunities for staffs, [and] increasing the efficiency of care.”
He went on to add that staff were especially appreciative of volunteers who helped them develop their skills in areas including conscious sedation and endodontic techniques, both of which were implemented by Dhulikhel Hospital staff for the first time as a result of training delivered by HVO volunteers.
“In 2019, we want to strengthen what we have achieved in 2018,” wrote Dr. Kafle, who shows no signs of slowing down in his commitment to strengthening the health workforce at Dhulikhel Hospital, and supporting the hospital in its goal to deliver quality oral health care to low-income individuals. In addition to the ongoing training of dental students and dental assistants, Dr. Kafle hopes to expand the partnership between HVO and Dhulikhel Hospital Dental School to include oral health research in the coming years.
As we celebrate World Oral Health Day, we wish to also celebrate Dr. Kafle and all of the dedicated on-site personnel and volunteers who make our oral health program possible!
Interested in volunteering to support Dr. Kafle and other dedicated health professionals? Visit our oral health program page to view our current opportunities for oral health volunteers at Dhulikhel Hospital and other project sites across the globe. Not an oral health care provider? Use our project finder to select a project in your specialty area.