DT News - UK - New hope for Syrian refugee dentist

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 3 February 2016

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LISBURN, UK: A Northern Ireland businessman has recently started a crowdfunding campaign to help a Syrian refugee qualify to practise as a dentist in the country. Mahfouz was among five families who were resettled from Beirut camps in December as part of the UK’s refugee aid programme.

According to him, he had been working as a dentist in Syria for over 20 years until he was forced at gunpoint to leave his home in Aleppo.

Although temporarily working at a factory manufacturing blinds, he said he wants to keep working as a dentist, but lacks the necessary funds to complete the qualification examinations, costing £6,000, that would allow him to take up practice in the UK.

Mark Feeney, Northern Ireland Director for the Tech Partnership and initiator of the campaign, said that Mahfouz would be able to start practising as a dentist in Northern Ireland once he has completed the examinations in May, as there are currently many openings for NHS dentists there.

“Funding this initiative will fast-track Mahfouz’s path to becoming a certified UK dentist, fully utilising his skills base, and providing more opportunity for many in Northern Ireland to have access to dental treatment,” he said.

As of today, Feeney's campaign has already achieved almost a quarter of its goal. It will continue to run for another 23 days.

Donations can be made at crowdfunding.justgiving.com/dentist.

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