Situated in the middle of India. Is the AOG-supported dental project in Chitrakoot. AOG helps to finance services and sends out volunteers to some 500 remote villages, sorting out pain, infections, repairing cleft palates, burns and a myriad of other oro-facial problems. Since the AOG has been funding most of these dental surgeries and supporting outreach treatments, more than 31,000 patients have been seen in-house, and a very large number treated in mobile open air treatment centres in the rural villages. Correcting clefts, diagnosing cancer, and repairing burns completely changes people’s lives, livelihoods and marriage prospects. Dentistry and dentists can make a huge difference.
The AOG will fly out in February next year to finance a further set of projects to support the dental services. A laboratory and a surgery for a resident clinical dental technician is envisaged.
Pomi Datta, the president of the AOG said, ‘I am delighted to have helped design the surgeries. They are practical and professional. I pay particular tribute to Naresh Sharma who has headed the project and the numerous other luminaries, including Crawford Grey, David Hutchinson, Oliver Fenton, Ashok Sethi, Bill Sharpling, Subhir Banerjee and so on, who have all been seminal in making this project come to life.’
If you wish to join the AOG to visit one of its charitable causes along with your choice of cultural highlights, then contact the AOG travel agent, Rachna of Welcome Travel to book yourself a place. Trips can be customised as the tour operators for the AOG are always flexible. The telephone number is 020 7788 6452 or visit the AOG website at www.aoguk.org
Membership of the AOG is only £10. To become a member, log onto www.aoguk.org
The cost of the primary tour, including the conference in Delhi and visit to the dental centre in Chitrakoot (or remain for a cultural extravaganza in Khajuraho till the dental party gets back) between February 18–26, is £1,099 per person sharing, and includes most meals plus an invitation to three fabulous parties.
The chairman of the AOG Trust is Raj RajaRayan OBE and its board includes names such as Amarjit Khambay, Rashmi Patel MBE, Mahesh Patel, Ruby Austin MBE and Manny Vasant MBE. AOG means ‘welcome’ in several Indian languages. Any health care worker with an interest in ‘the greater good’(the AOG motto) is welcome.
Bookings are being taken for the AOG Family day on Sunday July 10, and the 2011 Charity Ball on Saturday December 10. Visit www.aoguk.org to book.