424. The drama also oral health in the Autonomous Region of Madeira

The Regional Health Service in our region is too serious shortcomings. Addressing the situation of Oral Health, although there was some effort to improve this service, the reality today is very dramatic. The shortcomings of users reaching desperation.
For example, students with more than 12 years, belonging to disadvantaged families or have to be very poor, are not entitled to a dental service in a prompt, efficient and, in some cases not even have no chance solve the problem of oral health. I present a concrete situation and truthful.

In December 2009, my student was in class with toothaches. Head lying on the desk with a scarf wrapped on his face. He could not stand the pain. The tears flowed on his face. He said that a few days ago was awakened by a slight pain, like worse then their poor financial resources, went to the Health Center, the family doctor who sent it to the hospital. However, despite the urgency, had no right to consult a dentist's Regional Health Service, because he already had 15 years of age.

So new query to the family doctor, one more week, then the doctor at the state and no alternative, such as toothache kept the teenager, prescribed some antibiotics and some painkillers to try to remedy the situation and thus postpone the unavoidable.

A scandal. Astounded at the story of the student and touched by the situation because the student had no social conditions for a private dentist and had too old to be treated at the hospital, I had to act.

Not part of my philosophy of life stand to watch and do nothing. Although the student was a better time, as has been numbed with drugs, but just what effect has the excruciating pain returned. There she was lost in pain. And I know what's toothache.

However, I contacted the outset, the head of the class who tried to do everything possible to resolve the problem but no solution could be through the School. The insurance did not cover the much less school social action and, therefore, the school was tied helplessly.

I remembered calling my dear friend André Escórcio to require their help. How do I know that is a man preoccupied with these situations of injustice and has more experience than me, I asked him for help.

He made his contacts and here comes a solution. The Head of the class should contact the Social Worker of the student's area of residence for this technique to make the study of family and then to prove that the family had not really economic conditions to pay a private dentist, then it prompted the intervention of the Security Social. And so it was. The social worker was contacted, made the process of family assessment, which took a few days.

The director told me in class, last Friday, that the case, finally, more than a month later, will be referred to Social Security. It will be! Today I had class with the student and asked if we had the consultation and told me, very much satisfied that everything was resolved and now all that remained to make an appointment. Has not been consulted! You still have the pain, milder, because the painkillers fulfill their role.

We are very pleased with the outcome, although dissatisfied with the delay and the time wasted on unnecessary bureaucracy. This is the reality of our regional health system. The student was lucky to have found teachers concerned and attentive to detect the state of your health and not rest until they found a solution, despite the slowness of the process. However, this is a mere case.

How this student there are hundreds unsolved.

Urbanidades da Madeira

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This case goes beyond all bounds of human dignity. I hope the authorities, notably the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health to establish responsibility and know where the system failed. Why can not the girl was immediately referred to a dentist or a dentist?

After all what good is the school social action and the dentist's Regional Health Service?