Bring Doctors to African Nomads through Medical Van

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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Introduction
According to the results from more studies, there are 50-100 million of nomads which found in the developing world. Almost 60% of them live in Africa. Even though they migrate constantly because of the need for water they also have the right of accessing medical healthcare. The movement of this population is seasonal and this is a crucial reason of their health. Limited and hard-accessed location makes medical centers difficult to notice the changes on the nomad’s health.

In their region, more exactly in Africa, they have a limited access to some of the health services and that’s why the idea of bringing mobile vans seems to be very interesting and helpful. The main cause of mortality is the infectious illnesses which could be well prevented. In the past years, there were many efforts and medical programs which were shown that are not effectual and that they cost a lot. But, nowadays, we are witnesses of many medical actions which are there to give primary care to this population.

In every country in Africa, there are nomadic people. They migrate in several periods together with their camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. It is good to know that nomads are categorized as collectors, hunters, and pastoralists. They have their conventional routes for migration every year but sometimes, they could change their direction. The common places where nomads settle is the dessert Sahara and the semiarid Sahil. In West Africa, these people may travel even thousands of miles but in some regions their access is limited.

The group of pastoralists is recognized by some organizations and ecologists which give help to them because they found that projects for this group of people are efficient and low-cost. They claim that certain groups of nomads are self-sufficient and they somehow contribute to the better economic progress of the country where they live. It is good to remember that in many African countries, nomadic people are the main producers of meat, milk, and some other products.

What are the health problems of nomadic people?
Most information about this question is obtained from small studies which show that nomads are healthier than other settled neighbors even though they have less access to medical care, formal education, and safe water for everyday use.

  • Mortality in children. This is happening because of the illnesses that are easily spread among children such as respiratory infections, measles, diarrhea, and malaria. Almost 65% of deaths were vaccine-preventable diseases and because of this fact, the mobile clinic vans were sent to these areas in Africa.
  • Maternal mortality. The main causes of this type of deaths were prolonged labor and postpartum hemorrhage.
  • The morbidity in children. According to many studies, fever and respiratory infections in children were noticed for several months throughout the year which is related to the place they were that period.
  • Viral infections. These infections are not often found among nomadic people.

What are the health solutions for nomads?
The general opinion according to the things mentioned above is that the improvement of nomad’s health is the availability of more clear water and better access to medical services. But, it is possible to organize medical services which would deliver primary health care. This means that more activation of mobile vans would be a great idea to help these areas in Africa. Medical institutions have to establish a seasonal service according to movements of the nomads. When African nomads need help they have to walk many kilometers in order to reach the nearest medical center. But, with the appearance and support of mobile clinics, this situation is changed.

Some projects are well organized. In past years there were projects in which there were many mobile vans which support different medical specialty. There was one mobile clinic for registering and another one for mother and baby consultations and tests. For the entire group of people, this project is for sure very significant because they have a medical care in their place. The mobile vans which were here delivered medical care in this place offered services such as eye care, malaria testing and also dental care. They were organized with solar panels and batteries so they could operate 24 hours per day.

These projects are supported by different governments and non-governments organizations. For example, there are nomadic people which during the tests they have made found that they have diabetes. They have never heard of this condition and thanks to these medical workers and mobile vans they know a lot about this disease.

Summary
For delivering primary health care in the nomadic areas, medical workers have to be well prepared. This means that they have to know which their priority health problems are and also to know which actions they would need to solve these problems. Another thing to consider is that the solving activities can be conducted by mobile healthcare vans. These portable medical clinics have to offer we-trained personnel, specially equipped vehicles, a variety of needed drugs and medications. They have to fight for better protection of the population and available assistance. A clear strategy has to be created to make a relation to these two important components.

The implementation of these kinds of projects is always a great idea and it is supported by several organizations and medical institutions.

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Why a Mobile Dental Van is the Best Choice for Dental Students to complete Dentistry Training?

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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A Mobile Dental Van can be the best choice for dental students to learn and practice on the various dental procedures required to graduate. There are benefits for dental colleges to allow the dental students to practice dentistry training using a Mobile Dental Van. The primary benefit is to expose the students to the social responsibilities opportunities to pursue in the future. It is the moral obligation of all to offer help to society members who are in strained circumstances, poor, deprived or disadvantaged. Dental and medical students in conjunction with the universities, social groups and government agencies can provide the dental and medical services gratis or at discounted prices to the underprivileged among us by using Mobile Dental/Medical Vans. The benefits for the students are that they practice and train for their graduation and the benefit for society at large is that the services are made available to the segment of population with needs.

All dental college students are required to learn to do dental procedures during their time at the college. The learning process gets advanced as the students make progress over the years it takes to graduate. All the dental students are required to purchase dental instruments to acquire familiarity and for practical training. Many dental colleges expect their senior level graduating dental students to work in the dental clinic environments furnished like a dental office in which they will work after graduation. These dental colleges are generally equipped with the state of the art dental clinic with dental equipment and instruments. Many dental equipment, supply and instrument manufacturers work very closely with the dental colleges to offer them their products gratis or at a discounted price which may familiarize the students to their products and may be they will buy the same items when they open their new dental clinic after graduation.

Foreign dental professionals are required to do additional training in the USA based dental colleges and also pass the exam before they can secure the license to practice in the continental USA. Many states may also have their unique requirements to practice in their states. These dental students may have to purchase some dental equipment, hand pieces and instruments to practice for their practical exam. These foreign Dental Professionals can also be trained in the mobile Dental vans and also serve underserved communities while training.

The dental clinics run by the dental colleges have dual functions making their primary function nebulous. Dental college based dental clinics provide all the dental services including basic procedures like hygiene/cleaning, fillings, x-ray diagnostics, fluoride treatment, sealants plus complex procedures oral surgery, periodontal, orthodontic and implants to the patients who may find private dentist fees very high. The dental colleges may charge patients based on their income level.

Generally senior level graduating dental students perform the dental procedures in conjunction with a qualified dentist or the specialist from the dental faculty. The dental students get their training and the patients can get low fee dental service which is a win-win position. The dental services can also be extended to the populations in the remote areas using Mobile Dental Van.

Global communities in the rural and underserved areas cannot reach the routine dental and medical help they deserve. In case of health related emergencies the patients in the remote areas die disproportionately compared with populations residing in the major metropolises having an abundance of dental and medical facilities.

All the dental colleges can extend their dental services to the population in the rural, underserved and remote areas using a Mobile Dental Van. The patients located in these geographical areas may not have transportation and/or money to reach the dental clinics located miles away from their residence. The state or the city government and the social organizations may be willing to join these dental colleges to make the dental services available at their door steps with a Mobile Dental Van equipped with dental equipment and senior graduating dental students. Especially children living in these underserved areas need the basic dental education and dental services. Many medical issues with children may be due to the absence of basic dental hygiene. It is probably less expensive to offer these children dental services, schooling and lunches by mobile dental vans and mobile educational van compared to the cost incurred by the government when these children reach adulthood with more intense issues including the psychological problems and crimes.

The Mobile Dental Vans can be completely self-contained and equipped with all the dental equipment necessary to perform basic and complex dental procedures by the dental college students. This concept of dental service by mobile dental van and dental students must be on the high priority of the government institutions in conjunction with social organizations and dental colleges. Many dental colleges have incorporated mobile dental vans in their curriculums so the blueprint is already available for other dental colleges to use the experience of the dental colleges that are active in mobile dental van service.

Click Here To View a Two Operatory Refurbished Mobile Dental Clinic and Pictures
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Mobile Dental Van To Address The Dental Care Needs Of An Underserved Population

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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Modern technology is changing the human behavior and modifying our capacity for reaching our full potential as individuals. Each new generation is influenced by expanding technology, which reduces poverty and provides resources to pull the underserved population at par to experience the basic family needs essential for normal life.

Technology can now allow rural patients to see specialists without leaving their communities, permits local providers to take advantage of distant expertise, and improves timeliness of healthcare.

The Stanford’s Teen Health Van strives to provide more than just medical care. The team physicians focus on Teens inner strength to support them with their emotional support. Mobile health clinics represent promising vehicles through which high quality, cost-effective health care can be delivered to patients, especially in underserved populations.

Some of us may remember when a doctor came to your residence avoiding visits to your doctor’s office or to the hospital. Dental hygiene students can handle basic dental screening, oral health education, fluoride treatment and preventive sealants to the teeth for the children in the kindergarten to the 3rd grade. These basic dental tasks can be done by the dental hygienists or dental college students at the schools or at the residence. Qualified nurse provider and dental college students can also provide dental services utilizing mobile dental vans at the schools, aged residence, corporate offices and underserved areas. The challenge is to make the basic dental and medical services available to remote areas, vulnerable populations, low income families, new immigrants, the homeless, persons with mental illness, substance abuse problems, pregnant women and the senior citizens. The other group of people needing primary dental care are:

  • Population with lack of transportation facilities
  • Population with temporal, geographical and cultural barriers to dental care.
  • Population with lack of physical strength

Technology has made possible some optional form of medical assistance such as the Chinese smart phone app “chunyu yisheng” that lets users remotely consult with physicians to diagnose their ailments. Its aim is to resolve minor ailments that often clog up hospital waiting rooms. People get safe, personalized, and professional advice from doctors, but it is not a replacement for hospital.

Telemedicine and mobile health intersect at Miami Children’s Hospital. Twenty million patients in 2015 got healthcare from cyber doctors. Seventy five percent of large companies are expected to offer telemedicine in 2017.

The Chinese app “chunyu yisheng” means “Gift from above-doctor” and Telemedicine are essentially “cyber doctors” providing on-line consultation to patients. In laymen’s terms both “telemedicine” and “chunyu yisheng” are on-line medical shopping carts.

The technological developments will continue to help the global community to deal with dental and medical health care needs of the future. But in the meantime, we need to make the existing tools such as mobile dental vans/trailers more efficient and economical. Dental and medical service recipients reside in the major metropolises, rural areas and underserved regions, globally.

The most efficient mobile dental van should be equipped with one or two dental chairs. All the equipment should be anchored to the van body with the necessary structural reinforcements. All the basic dental equipment such as delivery systems, operating light, intraoral and panoramic x-ray systems, vacuum pump, air compressor, ultrasonic cleaning unit, autoclave, cabinets should be properly anchored to the van body to prevent movement while the van is driven from one location to the next. The hand held intra oral x-ray units are not compatible with the mobile dental van/trailer as they may get damaged during the travel and they can be easily stolen leaving the providers without an x-ray unit.

Ford E450 and Mercedes-Benz sprinter type models body & chassis underframe of vans offer economical methods to manufacture compact mobile dental vans. These model dental vans can be driven by any driver and will not require special driver licenses. The compact size of these vans can be driven on rough roads, rural areas and city centers. Our organization will have the first such Ford E450 mobile dental van with 2 chairs operational for use in Chicago.

By definition UNDERSERVED population is provided with inadequate service. Generally the following populations of patients fall under the category of underserved.

  • Patients with medical disabilities.
  • Patients residing in geographically isolated or medically underserved areas.
  • Patients with limited literacy.
  • Patients confined to home or geographical regions.

We find pockets of populations in low income communities, underserved rural and urban areas experience significant inequities in dental/medical status, disease burden and mortality. They also have less access to quality health care, preventive services, health providers and community conditions that promote and protect health.

The Mobile Dental and Medical Vans are ideal to provide health care to this pocket of vulnerable populations overlooked by the society. Contact us for information at 586 917 0245 or email, sales@kbdentalconsulting.com

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Step-Up Van As A Mobile Dental Coach

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 1, 2023
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The global population birth rate is 4 per second while the death rate is 2 per second. Considering the average life expectancy at birth is approximately 67 years, the population surge globally is expected to increase from 7.5 billion in 2016 to 11.2 billion in 2100. There is a solution in the offing from IBM’s “Watson” cognitive system enabling a new partnership between people and computers. “Watson” according to the CEO of the IBM will not replace but augment what we do. “Watson” will help with solutions to deal with the health care need in the future including helping us to design the Mobile Dental Vans compatible with the geographical locations and the global population pockets in dire necessity of health care.

  • Multi-stop trucks also known as walk-in delivery or Step-up Vans are a type of light duty and medium duty trucks created for local deliveries to residence and businesses. They provide easy access between the driver and goods and hence the name “walk in delivery van” such as United Postal Service Vans, Federal Express and DHL carriers. They are taller than the regular Ford Econoline vans. The wheel base can be custom built. Step vans have been used as the command centers, large ambulances and also can be converted to a mobile office or mobile dental and medical vans.
  • In 2017 Ford step vans #450 with 6.8L, V10, 14,504 GVWR, 18 Ft can be converted to a Mobile Dental or Medical Van. Chevrolet, GMC, Ford and Dodge manufacture step vans. Globally, there are many manufacturers of step vans like Nissan, Fuso, LDV, Renault, Freightliner to name a few.
  • Global population data discloses that the birth rate is four per second while the death rate is two per second. So the net global population growth is two per second. The average life expectance at birth is approximately 67 years. At this rate the global population will grow from 7.5 billion in 2016 to over 11.2 billion by 2100.

Conventional fixed medical clinics, dental clinic and hospitals will have to evolve to support the health needs of the growing population. The mobile clinics in conjunction with the conventional fixed clinics are already employed in many countries like the United States of America, Australia, Africa and India to name a few.

Various modalities are available to providers for the health care professionals, universities, government entities and business entrepreneurs. Modalities we can offer are medical, emergency management exhibits, handicap, testing laboratories, transportable buildings, cargo life, mammography, bone dentistry, health screening, dentistry, nuclear imaging, TB screening, CT, veterinary, physical therapy, transport. Many custom features are available as required and listed below.

  • Heating and air conditioning systems
  • Leveling systems
  • Wheel chair lifts
  • Powered stair systems
  • Remote control features
  • No corrosion bodies
  • Panoramic view windows
  • Generators
  • New Paint
  • New graphics
  • New Interiors

The Mobile Vans for the health care industry can be manufactured new or by refurbishing used vehicles such as step vans. These vans can be refurbished and converted to a Mobile Dental or Medical Vans at 50% cost of the new vans.

The refurbishment of used step-up van is a meticulous time consuming process to convert it to the mobile dental van. The process requires a manufacturing facility capable of orchestrating CAD design and fabricating custom built vehicles. We are an innovative special purpose vehicle manufacturing company where certified welders, design group in conjunction with the welding equipment, plasma can machines, custom extrusion dies, total body and custom wood work, interior, exterior graphics in house capability can handle minor or extensive jobs with a “can do” attitude.

Contact us for more information or proposal for your Mobile Dental Coach/Trailer needs. 586 917 0245, kbconsultants1958@gmail.com.

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