The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the University of Malta entered into a collaborative agreement with Aġenzija Sapport in oral healthcare services. Aġenzija Sapport actively promotes the needs of people with disability through the principles of normalisation, social integration, empowerment and social role valorisation.
Both parties will benefit from this collaboration. The agreement enables UM undergraduate and postgraduate dentistry students to provide oral healthcare to all service users at Aġenzija SAPPORT, whilst receiving dental training under specialist supervision. Such collaboration will contribute to the improvement of oral health in children and adults attending the Day Centres, living in residences and attending community-based services supported by Aġenzija SAPPORT.
, Dean at the Faculty of Dental Surgery said “Through this partnership we will expose students to patients with different disabilities. The Faculty of Dental Surgery is committed to contributing, through our activities, to those members of our Maltese society who are in need of help, and this is one way of supporting our community.
In the past we have collaborated with other local government institutions and NGOs such as St. Vincent De Paul Residence, Special Olympics Malta, FSWS and now we are glad to be working with Aġenzija Sapport.
This opportunity is important because we will better train students to work with such diverse groups within our society. Academic members already provide a sterling and dedicated service. Of particular note I would like to commend Dr Silvana Mifsud, who is an academic and has devoted her professional life, within the National Health , to patients with disability. This collaboration should augur well by encouraging future dental oral health care providers to dedicate their professional life to patients with different disabilities.”
University Rector, Prof Alfred Vella said “We aim to provide our students with the best practice in their field, this collaboration will help students to learn how to work within the disability sector. The Faculty has always been supportive of vulnerable groups in society. The smallest Faculty at our University is always ready to go that extra mile to service society, as evident by their active participation in the National Vaccination Programme in collaboration with the Ministry for Health and Mater Dei Hospital.”
Ms Ruth Rose Sciberras, Chief Executive Officer of Aġenzija Sapport, thanked Profs Nikolai Attard, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, and his team for their collaboration to provide a service to persons with disability and their family members, and Rector Profs Alfred Vella for his endorsement of this agreement. She noted that this collaboration will not only serve to make dental health services more accessible, but will also widen the services and initiatives available for Sapport service users. This includes the integration of educational programmes regarding dental care. She concluded that Aġenzija Sapport looks forward to collaborating fully with the Faculty of Dental Surgery and University of Malta to ensure that this agreement will be beneficial for all parties involved.
