Marabut is a low-income municipality in the province of Samar, in central Philippines. Being one of the poorest regions in the country, access to affordable healthcare, especially dental care is significantly limited. A survey by Sathya Sai volunteers found that patients with severe dental problems avoided going to the dentists due to prohibitive cost of services. The lack of treatment led to additional health problems for the needy residents.
Recently a team of eight dentists from SSIO and three volunteers from the Rotary club conducted a three day dental camp in Marabut. A total of 2,015 patients from eight villages were provided free dental services – including extraction, cleaning and root canal treatment. The dental camp was set up in temporary classrooms and church building with minimal facilities. The dentists worked till late hours to accommodate the large influx of patients. On the last day of the camp, the dentists visited the Osmenia Elementary school to conduct oral hygiene classes for all students. The residents of Marabut were deeply appreciative of the services provided by the SSIO volunteers.
