Questions For Dr. Valda
What is your business here in Gallup and what brought you to Gallup? I arrived in Gallup in 2001 to work for IHS in Ft. Defiance. After one year at Fort, I started my practice Small Fry Dentistry here in Gallup. Prior to arriving in Gallup, I was in Germany as a contractor dentist for the Army. What was the inspiration behind going to Peru? Doing humanitarian work has always been my calling. I tried to establish it in my home country of Bolivia but Peru made it easier to go there. My grandfather was a doctor and spent most of his career in underprivileged areas.
What does a normal day look like when you are serving the people in Peru? A normal day is to arrive at a site, most likely a church or school at 8:00am. The word has already been out that a dental clinic will arrive. People walk for two days to arrive and to be treated. By 5:00pm we have to start turning people down until the next morning. The hardest part is having to leave when so many people have not been treated. What kind of reception do you receive from the people in Peru? Do you ever take other doctors with you on your trip? I work with two other dentists in Peru.
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September 2019
