English

Located in the southwestern part of Sichuan Province and the northern part of Daliang Mountain, Yuexi County is a national key ecological function area with a panda nature reserve. At the same time, Yuexi County is also a national poverty-stricken county with a considerable lack of medical resources.

On June 14, 2022, vice dean Zhu Songsong and a team from West China Hospital of Stomatology (WCHS) went to Yuexi County and Sla Village to carry out volunteer activities. The activities include oral health examination, fluoride application, caries prevention, dental education, and establishment of oral health files for local students. The team also provided medical support to the First People's Hospital and the Second People's Hospital of Yuexi County, and made donation of oral health products to local community.

As conducting the targeted assistance for Yuexi County and Sla Village, WCHS won the title of "2021 Advanced Collective of Provincial Departments and Related Units for Paired Assistance" for protecting the public health of less-developed regions and consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation. WCHS leverages dental resources and explores advanced medical support models. Every year, experts from WCHS carry out the medical service and technical training to Yuexi County, which is warmly welcomed and highly appreciated by local people. According to the natives, it was the arrival of the dentist team that made them realize the importance of oral health and improved their life quality.

Difficulties and challenges as implementing the medical service in Yuexi is bound to face, medical practitioners march forward. With the hospital as the strong backup, each volunteer team is determined to stay motivated, bring the spirit of WCHS/WCSS to remote mountain areas, and dedicate themselves to serve the local people. We firmly believe that with the support of the local government and WCHS/WCSS, the tomorrow of Yuexi County and Sla Village will be bright and promising!