Srinagar, Mar20: For the last 15 years, no dental surgeons have been appointed in Jammu and Kashmir, owing to a shortage of dentists in hospitals, which has hampered oral health care services.
Unemployed dental surgeons in J&K who have completed professional courses at dental institutions recently addressed a letter to the government requesting the establishment of positions.
Dr. ImtiyazMantoo, President of the Dental Surgeons Association of Jammu and Kashmir, said the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission has not created a single dental surgeon position since 2008.
“There is a file pending with the government on the same which is going rounds since the past ten years. “This is a big issue, and the government has been deafeningly mute on it,” he added.
Primary oral health care services, he claims, have suffered as a result of inadequate facilities and a lack of people at rural hospitals such as district hospitals, SDHs, CHCs, and PHCs.
Unemployed dental surgeons have been struggling to find work, and many are quitting this noble profession to make ends meet.
“Over the years, new people who desire to pursue a profession in dentistry have shown little interest in enrolling in dental institutions due to a lack of job security,” he explained.
Despite a paucity of dental surgeons, more than 5000 Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and 600 Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) students in J&K are jobless due to a lack of possibilities in the government sector.
Unemployed dental graduation and post-graduates proposed appointing dental surgeons and b-level consultants, but the finance department is against it.
“We are suffering from mental trauma due to unemployment. There has been no development and the government is not citing any genuine reason,” he said.
According to the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, 336 dental surgeons work at 626 institutions throughout the valley, including nine district hospitals, 50 SDHs, 232 PHCs, and 335 NTPHCs.
According to a health department official, 90 percent of patient burden is on public hospitals since oral health operations are expensive in the private sector, causing most patients to seek treatment from quacks, exposing them to hazards.
Mantoo stated that every year, 200-300 students graduate from the Govt. Dental Colleges in Srinagar and Jammu, adding that their careers are jeopardised owing to a lack of chances.
He claims that quackery is pervasive in the periphery, which is a significant source of hepatitis C, but that the formation of professional dental surgeons has put it on the back burner.
Due to shortage of dental surgeons patients are compelled to visit hospitals located far off places and private clinics for consultation which is unaffordable for poor patients.
According to norms, there should be at least two dentists in a Sub-District Hospital and for a Primary Health Centre there must be a dental surgeon and an assistant.
A senior official of H&ME Department said there are no clear cut vacancies of dental surgeons in hospitals.
Administrative Secretary, Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department, Bhupinder Kumar, said any vacancy in the department shall be referred to the recruitment agency on priority.
