There is no pain worse than toothache. As a dentist, Dr Eilly Wai Sum Lau understands very well the agony that a dental patient has to go through, and how oral health can affect one’s daily life, diet and social interactions. She is determined to use her expertise to help those in need, to provide not only treatment and health care but also concerns to them. As early as she was studying dentistry in Australia, Dr Lau has begun to develop a spirit of humanitarianism. She took an elective course to serve as a volunteer in Papua New Guinea to provide free dental services to the poor people. That turned out to be an inspiring experience in which she found the joy and meaning of humanitarian work.

Since 2000, Dr Lau has worked with various voluntary groups to serve people in need of dental treatment in Hong Kong and remote mountainous areas in Mainland China. About 1,000 people benefited from her team’s service last year. The volunteer teams also provide dental care education to the needy communities, helping them to prevent dental diseases.

From 2011 onwards, Dr Lau has been organizing volunteer teams of up to 50 people through a programme with Happy Tree Social Services to provide free dental services to elderly residents in Sham Shui Po, Tai O and Tung Chung area. The volunteers will also make referrals to social workers if any elderly resident is found to be in need of other health support or assistance. Earlier this year, the programme has been extended to cover Po Tat Estate in Kwun Tong.

Dr Lau is also responsible for service planning. She is active in fund raising and has donated dental equipments towards community services. Earlier this year, she succeeded in applying for funding to purchase more portable equipments to deliver a full range of voluntary dental services. She has planned to work with various non-profit and charity organizations and recruit voluntary dental professionals from all over Hong Kong to provide free dental service to impoverished elderly people and needy groups in various districts.

Dr Lau hopes to diversify the voluntary service by proactively recruiting practitioners of different healthcare disciplines to join the programme. She also actively involves dental students as volunteers. By setting an example, Dr Lau wants to appeal to her peers and the younger generations to join humanitarian work and build up the force of humanitarianism.