Free dental care in Bay of Plenty thanks to stranded aid ship

Koha dental centre set up in Welcome Bay. Photo / Supplied

Tauranga Moana's medical aid ship is now delivering free dental care on land after Covid-19 prevented it from sailing to remote Pacific Island villages to fulfil its original mission.

The M/V YWAM KOHA is a 48m-long former cargo vessel that was gifted by Stoney Creek Shipping to local Christian humanitarian organisation YWAM Ships Aotearoa in March 2019.

Extensive fundraising efforts have transformed the ship and turned two containers into mobile dental clinics, but ongoing border restrictions meant the ship was still berthed in Tauranga and was going nowhere in the Pacific anytime soon.

Managing director for YWAM Ships Aotearoa Marty Emmett said the organisation started brainstorming new ideas earlier this year and a five-week pilot programme was now under way to provide dental care for Bay of Plenty residents called The Trinity Koha Dental Clinic.

Patients are able to give a koha (donation) if they wish but there's no expectation to pay, he said

"We've got a dental container so why not put it on a truck? We can go anywhere … There is a desperate need right here in the Bay as a lot of people have poor access to oral care."

One container has been lifted off the ship and a second dental clinic based in a caravan is on loan from Whanganui. Both are currently set up at Whaioranga Trust on Welcome Bay Rd until Friday June 11.

"After that we are going over to Te Puke to serve the many Pacific Island RSE workers who are based in our region. And then we go to Kawerau for two weeks to work with Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau Hauora.

"The genius of all these clinics is we're providing the service, they're providing the patients. They're just going through their database and inviting people for appointments.

"People are coming from Matakana and all around the Western Bay to Welcome Bay this week. And we understand people will be coming from all over the Eastern Bay to Kawerau," he said.

The clinic has been made possible thanks to a $15,000 grant from BayTrust, along with substantial funding from TECT and multiple businesses such as Bay Gold, Southern Cross Horticulture, Sequal Lumber and Trinity Lands Ltd.

Tauranga-based firm McLeod Cranes has offered to move the container around the Bay of Plenty free of charge.

"Our commitment at this stage is for the five-week pilot programme. And then after that, we're just going to reassess and see but I think the reality is we're going to keep going. Because there's not many others in this space, helping those in need," Emmett said.

"One man had five teeth pulled out yesterday morning – if he went to the dentist, he would be able to access $300 in emergency funding from the Government through WINZ but that would have covered one fifth of his bill.

"How is he going to pay for the rest of it? There's just no way."

Emmett said YWAM Aotearoa was thrilled to have partners like BayTrust come on board to help fund this work and was blown away by the number of dental professionals willing to volunteer their time – including one dentist who had travelled from Whanganui to work free of charge for a month.

BayTrust chief executive officer Alastair Rhodes applauded YWAM Aotearoa's initiative and ability to pivot in a post-Covid world.

"Their humanitarian mission to help people in remote locations who don't have access to medical or dental care is deeply admirable.

"And while the M/V YWAM KOHA will eventually set sail to the Pacific, it's wonderful we can make use of their resources in the Bay of Plenty to help those who are struggling here at home."

BayTrust works to help strengthen Bay of Plenty communities by providing charitable, cultural, philanthropic, recreational, and other benefits to accelerate bold meaningful change, helping local communities and the environment to flourish.