Special Envoy to the Prime Minister and veteran oral surgeon Dr William Duguid believes a formal oral health partnership between Barbados and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is “certainly something that would be on the cards,” following a volunteer mission to the earthquake-affected country earlier month.
Duguid travelled to Venezuela’s Miranda state after offering his services to the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) through Ambassador Aquinas Clarke in the wake of the earthquake that displaced thousands and overwhelmed the South American country’s health system on June 24.
The dental surgeon said that with many residents living in makeshift camps, routine but necessary dental care had been pushed aside as hospitals and clinics focused on trauma cases.
“A lot of people don’t understand the financial strain ordinary Venezuelans face in accessing such care”, Duguid said, noting that a senior teacher in Venezuela earns about US$170 a month, making even routine oral surgery an unaffordable luxury for many families.
Challenging
Working first out of a BDF tent, in conditions he described as challenging, with unreliable suction, poor lighting and immovable equipment, Duguid later relocated to a better-equipped, airconditioned clinic in a building that was not destroyed by the quake.
As word spread that a visiting oral surgeon was offering free treatment, patient numbers grew quickly. By the end of the mission, he had treated more than 75 patients, mostly performing surgical extractions, with several cases requiring advanced procedures and many patients returning for a second treatment.
Duguid said he also picked up basic Spanish phrases needed for his work, including simple instructions to open and close the mouth, despite the language barrier.
He said he funded the trip himself, purchasing thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment and supplies, including gauze, local anaesthetic, syringes, suction tips, needles and suture kits, all of which he left behind so Venezuelan clinicians could continue treating patients after his departure.
Asked whether the goodwill generated by the mission could evolve into a longerterm arrangement, he confirmed that officials in Miranda state have asked him to return next month.
He said any lasting partnership would need to be pursued through diplomatic channels, likely via Ambassador Clarke, and ultimately would rest with Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez to formalise.
“There’s a significant need to be able to offer the services that I was able to provide there,” Duguid said, adding that he hoped younger Barbadian professionals would be inspired to volunteer their skills abroad rather than viewing their expertise purely as a means of earning locally.
He noted the mission was part of a broader philosophy of service, invoking the principle that “to whom much is given, much is expected”, particularly for Barbadians who benefit from free education compared to counterparts elsewhere who pay significant sums for professional training.
The veteran politician said the case for continued cooperation was clear.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the people and doing something to benefit your fellow man,” he said. (BA)
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