Indonesia’s self-taught dental workers say they fill a need in society – just not in Hong Kong
- Four domestic workers breached the conditions of their stay in Hong Kong by offering dental services despite having no training
- But in Indonesia, self-taught street dentists known as ‘tukang gigi’ cater to those who can’t afford formal healthcare and they are legally protected
The four had rented a room on their days off to offer treatments such as scaling, trimming, fillings and braces – charging between HK$200 and HK$2,000 – to fellow Indonesians.
In comments to the media, a Hong Kong Immigration Department spokesman said practising dentistry without registration was a threat to health and safety, in a time of Covid-19.
“The situation is absolutely unacceptable,” the spokesman said.
In Indonesia, however, scores of self-taught street dentists known as “tukang gigi” or “dental workers” ply their services legally and are protected by the country’s constitution, which recognises them as traditional healthcare workers offering specific services to those who find professional alternatives too costly and out of reach.
The country of 270 million and more than 17,000 islands has a thriving informal industry, with these workers, or tukang, offering all sorts of services, from car repairs to men’s grooming and massage. Jakarta residents will attest to how children and teenagers will appear on the streets when it rains with umbrellas, offering to shelter pedestrians for small fee.
Government statistics show about six in 10 of the Indonesian workforce are in the informal industry. Experts point to how they have been especially disenfranchised by social distancing restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic that have kept their customers at home and not spending money.