A trip to the dentist…

I just come back from my 1st visit to a dentist in PNG.

A few days ago I started developing a tootache and it got pretty bad. Interesting that all those years looking after my teeth and now in PNG for two months and I am having dental problems. Well, it turns out there there is only private dentist in Lae. Only one !!!  And guess what ?  I rang yesterday to make an appointment and he/she is away until the 18th of this month. The only dentist in Lae away for the next two weeks. 130,000 people living in Lae and only one f****** dentist !!

Only in PNG !!!

Wantok to the rescue !!!

It turns out that one of my colleagues was going into the general hospital (Angau) this morning to take her daughter and she offered for me to come along as well. It so happens that my colleague has Wantok in the dentistry department at the general hospital. So we arrived at the hospital and after meeting a number of Wantok of my colleague (yes, there was more than one!) we walked straight into our appointments, no waiting, no fuss. Note that there were at least 20 peoplle waiting before us and we were whisked straight past the front of the queue !!  In fact, no queue at all…  straight into the dentist chair !!  My colleague made a quick call on our way in and when we arrived there was already a chair waiting for us. The facilities were pretty poor compared to australian standards and compared to the dental clinic at Parramatta I have been used to. Nevertheless, I still got what I needed…  very quickly.

Things always happen in PNG, they just don't happen the way you expect they are going to happen.

Wantokism at it's best and only in PNG !!!!

Rob

NB: I have another appointment set for next Wednesday and for those concerned about my tootache…  the pain has settled down.