Appreciation: Dr Charles Galea

Charles put his life and soul into Smile for Albania, a 15-year project of the Department of Dental Surgery, University of Malta. During our annual visits to Preca College, a superb college run by the MUSEUM society in Korce, Albania, we provided dental care to thousands of youngsters, both students of the college and those coming from nearby, and not-so-nearby, towns and villages.

The visiting team was made up of dental surgeons and final- year dental students. Charles was always there.

The students just adored Charles, kind, considerate, so willing to step in whenever anyone of them needed his help, never ever an angry word. He just loved being surrounded by youngsters. I have forgotten how it all started but, on our first visit, Charles soon became Il-Ġeneral − that says it all.

He ran the clinic, which also meant that however exhausted we may have been, no one was ever refused an appointment. That was Charles, completely selfless. The students soon found out how a dedicated clinician goes about his professional duties.

Incidentally, he was also the resident engineer, ‘Mr Fixit’. Anything that went wrong, malfunctioning operating lights, compressor not quite up to it, whatever, Charles just fixed it. Yes, he was the life and soul of every visit and an example to all who had the fortune and pleasure to have been with him.

Charles will be missed by many. Our heart goes out to his very dear wife, Delma.