Across Nepal in 22 days | Feature

ANUP PRAKASH

Sitting in the darkened premises of Dharan's BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Doctor Dinesh Bhushal fondly recalls his cycling days as a young trainee. "We once cycled double load for more than 60km on a cheap Indian cycle," he says, proudly.

"Cycling has always been a passion, for all three of us," says Doctor Ujjwal Joshi. Dr Joshi is one of three dentists on a novel mission: to cycle from Mechi to Mahakali, spreading awareness about dental hygiene. Doctors Bodh Bikram Karki, Ujjwal Joshi, and Dinesh Bhushal will cycle across 1100km on the East-West Mahendra Highway, visiting schools and health camps along the way, spreading three messages:
1. Brush twice daily
2. Stay in Nepal
3. Stay away from alcohol and tobacco.

What started out as a passion for cycling, snowballed into something much bigger. "We just wanted to do something adventurous, something that hadn't been attempted before," says Dr Bhushal. And indeed, it is surprising to hear of three dentists who pack up their budding practices to journey across Nepal, braving militant armed groups and election anxiety and massive trucks zooming by. The three friends graduated from the BP Koirala Institute with Bachelors in Dental Surgery a few years ago. With a shared passion for adventure, dentistry and their country, they put their heads together and came up with this idea.

"When I heard of what they wanted to do, I immediately wanted to support them," says Dr Sushil Koirala, president of the Nepal Dental Association. Sushil Koirala met these three young men sometime last year. After countless days petitioning multi-national toothpaste and toothbrush companies in Kathmandu to no avail, they were only just about to return to Dharan. It was then that they thought of the NDA and Dr Koirala. He immediately agreed, going as far as to pledge his own money if unable to come up with funds from other sources.

Now, armed with fancy new mountain bikes, the three started their journey on 12 March from the very east end, Kakarbhitta. Formally called the National Toothbrushing Campaign 2007-08, their journey will continue for roughly 22 days. They will stop at various schools, conducting awareness campaigns about dental hygiene and also carrying out a survey on kids from grades eight to ten on their alcohol, tobacco and dental habits. The dentists will be followed by a mobile dental ambulance from the Kantipur School of Dentistry. Having heard of the campaign from the NDA, Dr Buddhiman Shrestha, president of the dentistry school decided to help out in his own way. The ambulance will carry the campaign material and is fully equipped, just in case anyone demands a check-up.

"We want people to know just how simple it is to have healthy teeth," says Dr Bhushal. "The most common of dental diseases can be prevented by just brushing twice daily, and that is what we're encouraging." Setting off from Kakarbhitta, the doctors are cheered on by a bus full of students from the BP Koirala Institute. Clad in white t-shirts, a scarf around their necks and a helmet perched on their heads, the three raise their arms, display perfect pearly whites, and pedal off.