A team from Emirates Facial and Dental Implants Center in New York, were at Little London Primary School in Westmoreland from December 17-20, treating people struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

The six-member team of dentists, psychologists and nurses treated adults and children in that parish which was one of the hardest hit by the Category 5 hurricane which made landfall in Jamaica on October 28.

The American team included Dr Alexia Noutsios, a specialist in Internal Medicine, who was on her second mission to Jamaica.

They were accompanied by four psychologists from the Caribbean Technical Assistance and Education Center For Health (C-TECH), based in Kingston, as well as Dr Mindi Fitz-Henley, president of the Medical Association of Jamaica; Dr Sydney Tenn, Dr Leesha Schaafe, Dr Opeyemi Afolabi, Dr Gayan Smith and three medical assistants.

Morvia Reid-Williams, Chief Financial Officer of Emirates Facial and Dental Implants Center, said the scenes in Westmoreland were far different from their previous visits.

“Our mission found many people living with great anxiety. The thought of their hurricane experience continues to traumatise victims as they struggle from day to day to make ends meet,” she told the Observer Online. “One of my biggest concerns was how the children were faring. When you’re a child, what happens to you sticks to you. Therefore, they have a place to compartmentalise this trauma and learn ways how to deal with it.”

Over 50 children, ages three to 12, received trauma counselling. Her team also conducted checks for hypertension and glucose levels, as well as treated wounds and fungal infection.

The biggest concern was oral hygiene.

“More than 80 percent of the patients we saw had dental emergencies. There were children as young as five years-old who we were told had gone for weeks with sleepless nights due to severe toothache,” Reid-Williams disclosed. “Adults with broken and decayed teeth, resulted in severe swelling and infections that distorted their faces.”

With the assistance of United Mission of Goodwill and Jamaica 4 Life, over 1000 care packages were distributed throughout Little London. Patients at the Savanna La Mar Hospital’s Maternity Ward were presented with personal care packages for their babies.

Other wards received medication, wound care supplies and surgical gowns.

Little-London is special to Reid-Williams’ husband, Dr Dwight Williams. A respected oral surgeon based in The Bronx, New York, he was born there and retains close ties to his hometown by organising medical missions to Westmoreland.

St Elizabeth, Hanover, St James and Trelawny were the other parishes that felt Hurricane Melissa’s wrath. The destructive storm caused 45 deaths, left thousands of people homeless, without electricity and damaged hospitals and infrastructure.