Deepika Pasham
The All India Dental Students and Surgeons Association (AIDSA) submitted a formal appeal to the Director of Medical Education, Government of Telangana, urging the immediate appointment of qualified dental professionals in all government medical colleges across the State.
In Telangana currently, Osmania Medical College, Gandhi Medical College and Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences have a Dental Department. However, this pushes the burden and daily 400-500 outpatient surge is recorded in the OGH and patients get appointment weekly once.
In the representation on Tuesday, AIDSA cited the need for establishing functional dental units in line with the Gazette of India notifications issued on July 3, 2015, and March 10, 2017, and as per staffing norms laid out by the National Medical Commission (NMC).
According to NMC guidelines, every medical college with 100 MBBS student intake must have a dedicated Department of Dentistry comprising: one Professor, one Associate Professor, one Assistant Professor, one Junior Resident and four Dental Technicians.
For institutions with a higher intake of 250 MBBS students, the number of dental faculty and support staff should be proportionally increased to maintain educational and healthcare quality, said the surgeons.
Currently, Telangana has 38 government medical colleges. AIDSA National President Dr MD Manzur Ahmed added that establishing dental departments in these colleges would not only ensure compliance with national standards but also enhance interdisciplinary education and access to oral healthcare, particularly in rural areas where people lack access to government dental treatment.
He added, “Integrating dental units will help future doctors identify and refer to oral health issues effectively. Moreover, these departments can address local oral healthcare needs, contributing to equitable and accessible healthcare.”
Highlighting the employment impact, Dr Ahmed noted that Telangana has 14 dental colleges producing 1,400 graduates annually. A new Government Order could potentially create jobs for 200 dental doctors, benefitting the public and the professional community alike.
