Dental hygiene is a major issue all across the rural areas of India. Many people live their lives without even knowing what a toothbrush is.

Over the years Dr. Kinsaul, and American dentist, has organized teams of licensed dentists, dental assistants and oral hygienists to come over from the US. These teams conduct intensive one- to three-week dental outreaches on the island of Rameswaram. These teams were very effective during their trips, but found themselves limited by the amount of equipment that they could take with them.

Medical Care in India:

It takes about an hour to drive across the southern India district of Ramnad. In this small area, however, there are about 1.2 million people. The nearest fully functional hospital is in Madurai – a four hour drive away. In emergency cases, that is simply not an option, so the government attempted to establish a couple of local hospitals. These have proved to be unreliable at best: in reality they are a nightmare. The only ambulances that they operate are used exclusively for returning the lifeless bodies of deceased patients to their former homes. They have no sanitary system for the disposal of medical waste. Cockroaches, rats and scorpions wander the halls, seldom disturbed from their foraging through the piles of trash scattered throughout the facilities. Recently a 23-year-old woman was killed when she was given the wrong blood type. Many patients contract diseases because the medical staff reuses needles. Others simply get sick from constant exposure to germs and un-sanitized equipment.

There is one private clinic an hour away that will do consultation only – no surgery or serious medical procedures. Although this clinic seems to be competent, very few people in the area can afford their rates. This dooms them to admittance in the government run hospitals . . . very often an unnecessary death sentence.