Medical teams spread smiles in remote villages in North

This is the first time that a team of medical volunteers managed to get to the remote Ban Kro Parae village in the depths of the Salween National Park.

Though mobile medical teams Chiang Mai University and Ban Suan Dok Hospital have been visiting remote villages in the North for the past 16 years, they have never had Ban Kro Parae on their itinerary, because getting there is very dangerous.

However, this time the teams were driven up the steep mountainous roads in powerful four-wheel-drive SUVs by off-road volunteers.

Thanks to the volunteers, the medical teams could visit other remote villages, namely Ban Jor Sider Nua, Ban Jor sider Tai, Ban Jor Prakhi and Ban Por Mua villages, as well. All these villages are located inside the Salween National Park.

The drive from Chiang Mai took more than 10 hours and the teams spent seven days from February 13 travelling up and down steep mountains and past several creeks to reach the villages.

The dentists managed to provide basic dental treatment, including cleaning, pulling out and filling in rotten teeth, to some 700 villagers. They also taught the villagers how to look after their mouths. The doctors, meanwhile, provided medical check-ups and basic treatments to the villagers.